A ranger’s work is physically demanding. Here rangers are busy with a White Rhino capture and dehorning to reduce the risk of poaching. Picture: Peter Chadwick, GRAARanger Legacy Programme
The University of Pretoria (UP), last week, announced a pivotal partnership in a new 10-year research programme dedicated to injury prevention among game rangers.
This initiative, running from 2024 to 2034, brings together expertise from UP, the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA), and injury prevention researchers from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the Netherlands.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), rangers will be responsible for protecting nearly a third of the planet over the next decade. However, this critical role comes with significant risks.
In the past year alone, 140 rangers were killed in the line of duty worldwide, with 42 of those deaths occurring in Africa.
African rangers face the highest exposure to life-threatening situations, making this research programme crucial for their safety and well-being.
The programme's primary goal is to create a comprehensive database for future research on injury prevention strategies among African game rangers. UP's Departments of Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine, known for their extensive experience in injury prevention for athletes, will make significant contributions to this initiative.
"When we think about wildlife conservation, we often focus on the animals," said Professor Carel Viljoen, Head of the Department of Physiotherapy at UP.
"We rarely consider the rangers who protect these animals behind the scenes. Our team will leverage all our injury prevention expertise to support anti-poaching rangers in their vital work."
Rangers are not only guardians of natural areas and responders to environmental emergencies but also frontline warriors in the fight against poaching. Poaching has devastated wildlife conservation efforts globally, particularly in southern Africa.
Nearly 89% of African rangers report facing life-threatening situations, yet there is a lack of comprehensive data on the types, severity, and causes of injuries they endure. This data is essential for developing effective injury prevention strategies.
The research will initially focus on understanding the injury profiles of rangers and identifying risk factors. Interviews with rangers will assess their perceptions of injury risks and barriers to prevention.
Recognising that occupational injury prevention strategies are more effective when tailored to specific contexts, the research will start broadly and then narrow down to particular parks, such as Table Mountain National Park and Kruger National Park.
“The Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA) is the oldest, largest, and most representative ranger association in Africa,” said Louise de Bruin, Administrator of the GRAA.
“We are thrilled to partner with the University of Pretoria in this important study, which will offer tangible benefits to rangers' physical well-being. Ensuring injury prevention will enhance their performance and well-being as they work on the frontline of conservation.”
IOL