Becoming a WP Ranger

The basic requirement for participation in the AP4D Wildlife Protection Ranger training is the successful completion of the WP Scout course.

The WP Ranger course develops the WP Scouts further into experts in not only tracking ans scouting, the main jobs of the Scouts, but also in hot pursuit tracking, overpowering and arresting even violent and armed poachers. ​

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The tasks of a WP Ranger

WP Rangers work hand-in-hand with the WP Scouts, but are trained much broader and deeper and therefore work at a higher level.

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In an emergency and whenever necessary, once wildlife criminals have been identified and located, the WP Ranger can take active action against these criminals - including making arrests.

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Since this can be dangerous, the WP Ranger is also intensively trained in self-defense. Due to their training, 

and in addition, if WP Scouts are attacked, the WP Ranger can effectively rush to their aid.

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Another important task is to support the Namibian police or MET in anti poaching missions themselves, and to respond on wildlife crime whenever immediate action is required.

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TRAINING SUBJECTS

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The Namibian law

Generally, job and training of the WP Officer are based on the Namibian laws under which all security operations in Namibia fall, on private, or communal land. Knowledge of all the necessary legal paragraphs forms the basis of their work and is a focus in all AP4D's training courses. 

As in other security problems, the Namibian police as the responsible governmental body cannot be available always and everywhere.

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Scouting

All skills developed in the WP Scout training are further trained and improved in the WP Ranger courses.

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Bringing perpetrators into custody

The main focus of the training of the WP Ranger is on techniques and tactics in order to overpower even violent and armed suspects and perpetrators and to hand them over to the Namibian police force.

In order to minimize the use of firearms in arrests and in self-defense, the WP Rangers are particularly well trained in "less than lethal" close combat techniques, unarmed or with impact weapons. 

Nevertheless, for deterrence purposes and for their own protection in worst cases, they are well trained on various firearms for close quarters as well as for long range scenarios. 

Their training enables them to use offensive arresting tactics that can catch suspects in the act or track them down using extremely fast tracking - to ultimately arrest them. 

In addition, the WP Rangers are trained in de-escalations tactics and in undercover investigations.

Given their special equipment, selection and training the WP Rangers also serve as a general deterrent to people who are planning wildlife and nature crime.​​​​​​​​​​​

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Health & Safety (Survival) Training

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Wilderness Survival Training

Wilderness survival skills are a basic requirement to complete the demanding tasks of a WP Ranger. The WP Rangers must feel home in the wilderness so that they can stay on duty for many days without stress and fatique. ​

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Animal danger Survival Training

As part of their work, the WP Rangers repeatedly come into contact with potentially dangerous animals. In their health and safety training, they must therefore learn how to control these dangers in such a way that risks can be minimized.

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Crime+Terror Survival Training

The job of WP Rangers can be dangerous, as they work in areas where potentially violent criminals are on the move and it is part of their job to observe these suspects and arrest them when there is clear evidence of a criminal offense.

In addition, in the event of an attack on the WP scouts, the WP Rangers must act as an armed emergency response unit to save the lives of their colleagues. Therefore, their health & safety training consists also of:

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SERE (Survival - Evasion - Resistance - Escape)

is a combination of wilderness survival, evasion, resistance and escape tactics. The WP Rangers should avoid any dangerous confrontation which they cannot handle with a high probability of success.

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​SELF DEFENSE:

WP officers may come into contact with armed and violent suspects or offenders while performing their duties. WP Rangers must therefore be intensively trained in unarmed self-defense and must also be able to use contact weapons and even firearms in private defense to protect their life and health.​

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First Aid / Search & Rescue Training

There are many sources of danger that can lead to injuries in the work of the WP Rangers. Therefore, they must be able to reliably provide first aid to both themselves and their team colleagues. In addition, they must be able to search for and locate injured or missing colleagues (or others, e.g. tourists) and evacuate them to safety.

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Course structure

The WP Ranger courses by AP4D are divided into 3 levels: Basic, Advanced and Master courses, each lasting 15 days.

 

In each level the requirements and training content are expanded and deepened. Each course is certified with a certificate, whereby a minimum score of 60% must be achieved to pass.

 

By completing the Basic WP Ranger course, graduates can start working as a WP Ranger, but they should definitely complete their training up to the master level in order to be able to call themselves a fully trained Master WP Ranger.

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Qualification

As a Master WP Ranger certified by AP4D, the graduate has a qualification level that cannot be achieved through any other training institution in Namibia. 

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In addition, such an excellently trained WP Ranger also has the qualifications to work as a safari guide in tourism or in different fields of security services.

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Contact us to find out more about the course, application and entry requirements.