WILDLIFE PROTECTION (ANTI POACHING) SCOUT

 

The Wildlife Protection Scout is a Ranger who is specialized in the reconnaissance of large wilderness areas on the search for poachers and traces of poaching. He is to detect poachers and secure evidence that leads to the arrest of the offenders which should be done by AP Law Enforcement Officers (usually NAMPOL or MET officers).

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We offer three degrees in the WP scout courses:

      3rd Class WP Scout

      2nd Class WP Scout

      1st Class WP Scout

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The WP scout is equipped for self-protection only with simple weapons (e.g. traditional weapons), not with firearms. He should only detect armed poachers, observe them and report to the Anti Poaching law enforcement Officers for back up in order to make the arrest.

Only simple arrests (in form of civilian arrests) of none or lightly armed suspects could be perform himself, if needed. For his own safety, and out of Health&Safety precations, he is trained in escape and evasion tactics, First Aid as well as in self-defense with and without a weapon. 

 

Working as an WP Scout is only for professionals and for tough men/women, who understands that anti-poaching is a very demanding security work in the wild, which can involves personal risks.

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A trained anti-poaching scout is of enormous and increasing importance for the conservation of African wildlife. - In addition to state, communal and private wildlife sanctuaries, AP scouts can also find employment with international wildlife conservation organizations and security companies. It is currently the most sought after conservation job in Namibia - especially because an AP scout, with his diverse abilities, can also be used to help prevent other crime outside urban areas, especially livestock theft.

Furthermore, AP officers, due to their bushcraft, tracking and wildlife expertise, can additionally work as assistant hunting guides (trackers) and field guides in the tourism industry.

 

Course participants

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Physically and mentally strong people, who know the wild and wild animals, preferably from rural areas with human wildlife conflicts (elephant, lion etc), who are seeking for a professional career in Namibian wildlife conservation, or who want to significantly improve their career opportunities in the tourism and wildlife sector.

     

Training content

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The training consist of five major subjects:

 

Reconnaissance: In addition to crime prevention, the reconnaissance of large wilderness areas and the early identification of illegal intruders or clues of poaching is a very important training content. Our anti-poaching training also intensively teaches tracking skills to track down offenders.

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Law enforcement: The training is based on the Namibian laws for the protection of wildlife on private, state or communal land. Finding and securing evidence and locating and identifying suspect is priority. Reconnaissance tactics, e.g. mobile by anti-poaching patrols and static from (changing) observation points are a professional necessity. Observation and search tactics are of utmost importance. We also teach the use of surveillance cameras to support the reconnaissance on the ground.

Since poachers can become violent, the training covers the legal aspects regarding the use of force, powers of arrest, as well as detaining techniques and self-defense without weapons, as well as with simple, non-firearm weapons.

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First Aid: First aid, in combination with self-defense, is the basis of health & safety precautions for AP staff. Due to the wilderness conditions and the danger that teammates could be injured in the course of their duties, first-aid measures to treat injuries, wounds and other serious health conditions, as well as the evacuation of injured teammates and search & rescue missions are of particular importance. That's why first aid is a priority in our courses. This includes both the first aid for injured team members and the first aid "for yourself" if an AP officer is injured and no first aid helper is nearby. 

Bushcraft: Good knowledge of the African wilderness and the wildlife to be protected, and the ability to live and survive in the bush are basic requirements for the work of the AP Scout. The scout must feel home in the bush so that he can stay on patrol for many days without stress and fatique.

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Game counts: Since the AP Scout is often in the bush for days, he can also effectively contribute to game counts. This is also directly beneficial to his AP task, as it allows to detect drops in wildlife populations, or the absence of certain distinctive individuals (for example, individual elephants or rhinos) immediately.

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This long list shows how demanding the AP Scout training is. Those who want to take on this mental and physical challenge and pass the course, can earn a valuable qualification, which can be the beginning of a great professional career.

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