SHORT TERM GOAL
- To establish a professional and effective Anti-Poaching Training (APT) Base
firstly for the Western Cape.
- There are no real effective training bases and nothing in the Western Cape.
- This has been attempted and in various areas but failed due to role players
not being committed to saving anything and merely using anti poaching
as as a fund raiser to feed their own greed and benefit.
- To properly train and discipline local individuals to be qualified as
Anti-Poaching Rangers (APR's), not merely interested parties who are
looking for some adventure until the novelty wears off.
- To be professionally trained as a well disciplined force, APRs need to earn a
decent salary related to their expertise and experience.
This will ensure that they are in it for the long run.
There must be a career path with scope for further training and development in other fields of conservation.
- International volunteers should be welcomed into this programme, as many others
in the world share our plight and also have the interest at heart to assist in the fight against poaching.
We need their help and expertise in certain fields.
- International volunteers course fees can also assist in improving the training base,
acquiring training equipment and assist in funding the local training.
- International volunteers often volunteer their time but have no adequate knowledge
of our conditions, legal system and operational requirements.
They can be trained as well and be effective in contributing to the cause.
Many of them have professional skills which can be utilised to the benefit of protecting our wildlife.
MEDIUM TERM GOAL
- To embark on educating Reserve Owners on Anti-Poaching Operations as this is not often their field of expertise
nor is it necessarily their function. They are normally business persons but need to have adequate understanding
of how Anti-Poaching Units should operate on their reserves, APU's requirements and functions. This will also
ensure greater effectiveness and efficiency of APU's.
- Further development of the AP Training base, to accommodate larger or more frequent training groups and
to become self sustainable with funds generated.
- To build up an effective "Reserve Force" utilizing International volunteers that can be deployed to other
reserves whilst their staff obtain training and to return and work with the more experience "Reserve Force"
to gain experience before taking over the reigns on their reserve.
- Assisting other reserves, by offering on-site training in various fields to Anti-Poaching Units and other
staff members on the reserves.
- To develop the most effective system of Anti-Poaching Units within the Western Cape.
LONG TERM GOAL
- To build from this with the view of expanding to other regions, spreading the network, Province by Province,
until we eradicate poaching within our country as best possible and then to spread it further into Africa
with the final objective to drive poaching syndicates back to where they come from.
- The development of an adequate career path in Anti-Poaching with the scope to educate APR's in the field
of conservation on higher levels of formal education.
- To reach into communities and schools by way of education drives to bring awareness that a suitable career
can be pursued in the field of Anti-Poaching and Conservation which may bring realistic hope to
so many youngsters and even adults.
- Often youngsters fall prey to criminal syndicates and drugs because they have nothing constructive to do.
A series of education camps can be developed to get the children to understand the importance of caring
for animals and the impact poaching has not only on the environment but in communities as well
and how this is destroying our society.
