One of Pit-Track’s major supporters, Great Plains Conservation’s Project Ranger initiative, has released a short documentary about the importance of wildlife rangers and their work in the field.
© Project Ranger
Pit-Track Director Carl Thornton is one of the rangers featured in the video. He warns that “if we’re not going to come together, we’re going to have no future with wildlife”. He discusses the needs of rangers, who he says are “dedicating their lives to saving our wildlife and saving our national heritage, and they’re sacrificing a lot”. He explains that “the guys are away from family and loved ones for up to 30 days, 60 days, 90 days” and that “they need a lot of support: vehicles, firearms, medical supplies, food supplies. Salaries is a huge one.”
© Project Ranger
On the role of K9s in the field, given the risks of protecting such dangerous animals, Carl explains that “having a K9 with us has the unique ability to be able to bring early warning to such dangers, which puts us in a very good position to be able to deal with what we can’t see and what we can’t hear”.
Giving these wildlife warriors the best chance possible to save our animals “requires global support to be able to continue with this work we’re doing and really turn the tides for the future”, he says.
Pit-Track Ranger & K9 © Pit-Track
Project Ranger began “as an emergency intervention in response to the Covid-19 pandemic” in 2020, which saw rangers “left with their salaries uncertain and without the tools and resources they needed to protect wildlife”. This meant that large areas across Africa became highly vulnerable to wildlife crime.
The project continues to fund front line conservation efforts by providing support to wildlife monitors, rangers, anti-poaching operations and conservation organizations. Their aim is to preventing a poaching pandemic. They encourage people to “Sponsor a ranger. Stop a poacher. Save a species”.
On behalf of the entire Pit-Track team, we say a massive thank you to Great Plains Foundation and Project Ranger for their support of our rangers and K9s, who work tirelessly in the preservation and protection of our wildlife. We are honoured to be part of the Project Ranger team.
We encourage everyone to watch this short video and share it with family and friends to help spread the word. All support, both financial and non-financial, is gratefully appreciated by all of the rangers across Africa who are doing amazing work. One Team, One Dream. Wildlife for our Future.
