WorldRangerDay 31 July 2019

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Media Release: World Ranger Day Celebrations 2019

31 July 2019

World Ranger Day is observed annually on the 31 July and commemorates rangers killed or injured in the line of duty. World Ranger Day celebrates the work rangers do to protect the world’s natural and cultural treasures.

Our rangers stand up to poachers almost daily as they battle to end the decimation of wildlife species, ranging from the poaching of *** and abalone to the illegal removal of plants such as cycads and Proteas. We honour our rangers today.

As part of World Rangers Day South African National Parks (SANParks) Cape Region management and staff, together with various stakeholders such as the South African Navy, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement and CapeNature, hosted World Ranger Day event at Mouille Point – Sea Point on the 31st of July 2019.

Whilst addressing the rangers and esteemed guests at the event, SANParks Managing Executive of Parks, Mr Property Mokoena said, “Over the past few years, the Cape Region has borne the brunt of poaching, muggings and a number of unfortunate incidents that have resulted in deaths, placing a greater burden on the field rangers working here as is the case in most other protected areas in South Africa.

“Your integrity and the high moral ground are to the benefit of the many citizens of our country and the world. The work that you do today in preserving and conserving our country’s natural assets will not only ensure social benefits for the country but also economic assistance and opportunities for many years to come.

“In an effort to address some of the challenges we are faced with, the Cape Region, is in the process of appointing 120 Tourism Monitors which will be deployed into different functional areas of which safety is one of the priorities. The programme is funded by the National Department of Tourism, and these monitors will be based in all Cape Region parks including Table Mountain National Park.

“This programme is a great opportunity for preparing young men and women to grow within the organisation and also to learn new skills that will empower them for the formal job market in the near future. We are proud to have them on board and foresee great results coming from this team in assisting us in making our national parks a safe and enjoyable destination for visitors.

“We need to join hands and work together to fight environmental criminals, because the lives of most of our local community members and international tourists visiting our national parks and conservation areas are intricately linked to tourism, failure to address these challenges as a united front will undoubtedly affect the livelihoods of thousands of people depending on national parks for all sorts of benefits.

“It is against this background that we think the solutions we need must be based on partnerships with stakeholders such as the South African Police Service, the South African Navy, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement, CapeNature, Neighbourhood Watch groups, private sector security companies and community outreach organisations such as Take Back our Mountain, and many more other significant role players,” says Mokoena.

The first World Ranger Day was observed in 2007 and is the brainchild of the International Rangers Federation (IRF). World Ranger Day is promoted by the 63 member associations of the International Ranger Federation (IRF), by the IRF partner the Thin Green Line Foundation, and by individuals who support the work of rangers and the IRF.

Issued by:
South African National Parks (SANParks) Cape Region Communications

Media enquiries:
Lauren Howard-Clayton
Regional Communications Manager
Email: [email protected]
Landline: 021 659 1700