All too often the role played by rangers goes unnoticed and their efforts receive little reward. Eager to provide them with a platform for international recognition, the charity Tusk launched the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award three years ago as part of its annual Tusk Awards for Conservation in Africa – a move prompted by its Royal Patron, the Duke of Cambridge, who reiterated his respect for rangers in a speech to the Royal African Society.
Photo: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with the Tusk Conservation Award Winners 2018 / Photo Credit: Tusk Award
“Too many brave rangers are tragically killed each year by poachers,” he reflected. For over two decades, Uganda Wildlife Authority aka UWA law enforcement warden Julius Obwona and his team have patrolled in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park collecting deadly poaching tools such like rusted spears and trigger-system wheel traps, used by poachers and several arrests made.
Comprising of a mixture of savannah and dense woodland shaped by the River Nile, the park is most famous for its thundering waterfalls. But as populations of elephant, kob (a type of antelope), hippo and buffalo increase, safaris are becoming the big draw.
Charlie Mayhew, Tusk’s CEO, said: “It’s typical of Prince William to want to shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes and rangers who are poorly paid and under-equipped but putting their lives on the line.” Potential loss of life was certainly faced by Obwona, the winner of this year’s Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award. Working on a joint operation with the Ugandan army, he would recover up to three guns a day from criminals.
For more details on the Tusk Awards, see tusk.org.
Responsible Tourism Company (+256 704 023 495; Responsible Tourism Company) offers first-hand experiences of wildlife conservation in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in Africa. Our seven-day, tailor-made Uganda – Murchison Falls and the White Nile trip costs from USD 2,825 per person, excluding flights.
