BY VANESSA GUZHA
A NEW training facility by the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) is set to revolutionise the future of wildlife conservation in the country.
The privately-run facility is being built in the Phundundu wildlife area, Zambezi Valley.
The facility will see the increase in the number of Akashinga female rangers to 1 000 up from the current 240, protecting eight nature reserves in the country across a network of 20 under IAPF management in the region in the next five years.
The wildlife rangers would be taught to become instructors and leaders in wildlife conservation.
IAPF chief executive Damien Mander said eventually, the centre would provide training services to other organisations across southern Africa.
“The Kenya-based Lead Ranger programme, which trains rangers from different conservation organisations to become instructors and leaders will expand to Zimbabwe, operating out of the new training facility later this year,” Mander said.
“The biggest gap we identified in the delivery of the conservation industry’s objectives on the ground was that of leadership.”
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Mander added: “Wildlife rangers are the first and last line of defence for nature. Their training cannot be fast-tracked otherwise we just short change them.
“The facility will continue to drive its expansion across the region while giving nature the best defense she can hope for — people that care.”
The training centre will be staffed by many of the 14 Zimbabwean specialist anti-poaching instructors who have recently completed their training through the IAPF.
Currently, 75 new recruits are being trained both onsite and remotely for a six-month course.
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