In an attempt to do more for conservation than avoiding plastic straws and dabao boxes, I joined an anti-poaching ranger course in South Africa!
When I was younger, I felt like environmental trends were forced upon us without fully understanding the reasons why. I enjoyed being in nature, but these problems seemed distant from the concrete jungle of Singapore.
On a South Africa expedition with TTI Experiences, I began to see a different side of conservation. I realised through local guides at Game Reserves that conservation was about protecting the vulnerable and preserving a legacy for generations of Africans yet to come.
Some of the guides were even retired anti-poaching rangers from the Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit — the first privately owned Anti-Poaching unit in Southern Africa since 1992. They were the real conservationists, actively fighting a war against poaching. My guides’ passion was infectious and I was drawn to do my part as well.
And that curiosity led me to sign up for (probably) the most brutal six weeks of my adult life later on.
6 weeks of what? What is an anti-poaching ranger, and why do people sign up for the course?
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
Anti-poaching rangers protect wildlife by detecting and arresting poachers in the game reserves, which are usually used for conservation efforts or safari tours.
The work they do is challenging. Rangers can spend up to 20 days in the Bush for patrols, sometimes without any connection to the outside world.
In Singapore’s National Service (NS), we prepare for a war we hope never happens. In the ProTrack Anti-Poaching Unit, they train to combat the intensifying threat to wildlife. And that intensity is reflected in the training during the course.
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
That’s me, second from the left on the bottom row!
Most trainees travel from all over South Africa to attend one of the country’s most demanding private security courses. They come for various reasons: a passion for wildlife, a way out of poverty or to support their family. And a strong resolve will keep you going through training. A batch before mine had a 50% dropout, with over a dozen men tapping out through the course.
I was in for a hell of a ride.
Highlights of the ProTrack anti-poaching ranger course
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
I won’t pretend that the course was effortless. No, man, it was poes tough. But there were in fact many parts of the training I truly enjoyed. From spending weeks living in the African bush to being within 30m of wildlife on patrols — these experiences can’t be bought in a tour package.
Living in the South African Wilderness
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
I have this goal to experience what it’s like to stay in different remote environments. From the mountains of Nepal to the plains of Mongolia, and now, the African Savanna.
For four weeks, we camped in private game farms and Big Five reserves (Yeah, dude, with lions and elephants walking around), sleeping in tents made from tarps and logs. I was issued rations, not the ready-made combat rations like NS — I had to cook bags of rice, pap (a traditional South African polenta porridge), and tin food daily.
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
It was basic, but that was the thrill of it. I felt a deep connection with nature, waking up when the sun rose, killing the fire before the sun set and sleeping when it got dark.
Even cooking became a therapeutic habit. I’d sit by the fire with my buddy, calling for help to move my cooking pot because I wasn’t used to the heat of big open fires. Then we’d sit under our favourite tree and chow. There were definitely days I missed Grabfood Delivery, but even undercooked rice was delicious when eaten in the wild.
Close encounters with wildlife: Patrolling the Savanna
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
The best part was the daily wildlife sightings during patrols, from little birds to towering giraffes and the Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros and the African buffalo)! My initial love for wildlife blossomed from the confines of a caged game vehicle, and now I was on foot, metres away from a Dagga boy (old buffalo).
But once in a while, we’d find animals caught in snares. The lucky ones would still be struggling to break free, but the more they pull, the tighter the snare becomes. Unfortunately, most of them would be dead before the patrols found them.
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
The majority of the animals we found caught in snares had either died through starvation or laceration from the snare. I experienced the whole range of decomposition — from maggot-filled carcasses to vulture-ravaged scraps, and even skeletal remains.
It’s a sobering experience to see the impacts of snare poaching in person. But this was just the tip of the poaching iceberg.
The gruelling reality of poaching: Conducting a rhino necropsy
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
Among the Big Five, the biggest prize for the poachers is the rhino — their horns are worth S$90,000/kg. In the short six weeks I was in South Africa, eight rhinos were shot and dehorned.
When we were notified that two rhinos had been poached, I imagined that the rhinos were on different parts of the game farm. Maybe the poachers targeted one and bumped into another when they escaped. But they were a mother and her calf, side by side, with their horns sawed off.
We set out the following day to conduct a necropsy: searching for bullets inside the rhino to link poached rhinos to crime syndicates.
Click to see the image. Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
I used a machete to cut the rhino open, through its thick hide and solid bones, which had been slowly decaying for the last 10 days. The necropsy was part of the training program, but I never imagined I’d be knee-deep in rhino remains.
The smell was overwhelming. The blood-infested maggots were horrifying. And scooping out the stomach to find the bullet was a tier of its own. Equipped with a metal detector, metal hooks and a dozen pangas (an African machete), it took us 2 hours to find the bullet… And then we started on the next rhino.
Being a part of the autopsy made the problem real. I’d watch TikTok videos and documentaries about it, but this was right before me. And it gave more meaning to the remainder of the training.
Our first real-life mission: Sweeping for snares and arresting poachers
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
During one of the training phases, we got a 10-day mission from a new client of ProTrack. Their game farm and the surrounding farms were ravaged by poaching activity and they were on the verge of selling the place. In desperation, they hired the ProTrack Anti-Poaching unit to see if anything could be done.
With over two dozen rangers, including trainees, our team patrolled six game reserves. We found over 40 snares and arrested 36 poachers. Our presence, as armed men in camouflage, sent a powerful message to potential poachers.
On the last day of patrols, the clients thanked us for our work. We were only there for 10 days, but our work had an immediate impact. Word must have gotten out because patrols got increasingly quieter as the days passed.
I felt a sense of pride, similar to NS days.
Moments of doubt: Times I almost quit
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
And just like NS days, boy, they kicked the shit out of us (figuratively speaking). Army-level regimentation and seemingly impossible physical challenges were just a fraction of what went down during the 45 days. This is what happened during training:
Reliving National Service: Army-level training
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
Getting back to army life was tough in the first two weeks of the course. Marching drills, daily 5km runs, and every NSF’s favourite: getting destroyed after failing another impossible-to-pass area cleaning, haha. Core memories of NS days.
My body could finally take a break during theoretical lessons, from weapons competency to tracking poachers. These were the building blocks of an anti-poaching ranger and necessary preparation for the next part of the course.
Tough challenges along the way
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
The following four weeks presented the course’s toughest challenges: long marches carrying 16 days of rations (60kg in total), getting woken up with firecrackers at 3AM (turnouts and prisoner training), and back-to-back missions (Good old Charlie Mike).
These were trials in the course to test the mental toughness of trainees, pushing us near our breaking points. A ranger’s work is tough, and if a trainee cannot push through these obstacles during training, he isn’t going to be an effective ranger in the field.
The other trainees on the course asked me how these high keys fared against the ones in NS. It was harder. Only one thing kept me going: the thought of chugging down seven beers when the course ended.
Six weeks without a break or any connection to the outside world
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
In NS, there was time during training to get away — at night and on the weekends. But here, we were ‘switched on’ constantly with instructors always around. It was also the ultimate social media detox. Our phones were taken away right at the start and only returned at the end of our passing out parade.
Within the madness, there were pockets of time when I managed to “get away” by exchanging stories about home with the South Africans. Lying by the fire, under the stars, talking through the night. Those conversations kept me sane; they were the best memories I have of the course.
Becoming Singapore’s first anti-poaching ranger in Protrack South Africa
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
I spent S$5,000 in total. Could have gone for a nice relaxing vacation in Europe; instead, I can proudly call myself an anti-poaching ranger in South Africa.
Attending this course made me realise that I, as a Singaporean, was sheltered from many things. Wildlife and poaching are things I see in the media every day. But they feel so far away.
Now, I see ground-level rangers covering vast areas to protect wildlife for future generations. Cameras can fail, and fences can be tampered with, but dedicated rangers on patrol are the ultimate poaching deterrent. Imagine the impact of extended efforts like our 10-day reserve patrol over a year.
Taking action: How you can contribute to conservation
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
Every little bit of help will go a massive way for the rangers on the ground. Here are some ways that you can contribute to wildlife conservation in South Africa:
Contribute to ProTrack with donations
Many locals sign short contracts before seeking higher-paying jobs elsewhere, creating a revolving door of rangers. But with more funding, ProTrack can boost local ranger salaries. This ensures that they can focus on their critical work without worrying about money to support their families. Supporting sustainability benefits the company and its team. We can do our part to help make it sustainable for the company and the men on the ground.
Share this article to spread the work that ProTrack does
You can share this article to raise awareness about the vital work these rangers do. Increased exposure can attract more international support for their mission!
And if you’re up for it, join the course to experience it for yourself
Photo credit: Protrack Anti-Poaching Unit
45 days in South Africa’s bush, learning about wildlife and having a hand in conservation has been one of the most incredible adventures of my life. The training was intense, but necessary to prepare rangers for the bush.
Between catching poachers and staying safe in one of the harshest environments in the world, being a ranger is a dangerous line of work. Despite the danger, rangers play an essential role in conservation, and I’m proud to be the first Singaporean to finish the course.
If you have questions about the course, contact me on Instagram @t.hwq.
A message to my brothers in the South African Bush
Aweh boys. It’s been a year since my days in the bush with you. Thank you for accepting me as your own and teaching me the ways of the bush. We’ve lost one of our own since our time as trainees. Stay safe on patrols. I’ll visit South Africa for the biggest brii. It’ll be lakker.
Any other questions on what being an anti-poaching ranger in South Africa is like? Let us know in the comments below!
