News24 | SEAM rangers: Women leading the fight against poaching

Women field rangers, with their female K9, part of the TMNP SEAM team.PHOTOs: Natasha Bezuidenhout

• Seven highly skilled women rangers from the Table Mountain National Park SEAM team face life-threatening situations to protect South Africa’s wildlife and biodiversity.
• On World Rangers Day, SANParks CEO Property Mokoena praised their contributions, highlighting their role in coordinating deployments and tackling environmental crimes.
• Despite the dangers and challenges, these women are passionate about nature conservation and dedicated to their roles.

Facing poachers head-on in “life-threatening” situations to protect the animals and rich bio-diversity within the South African National Parks (SANParks), seven highly skilled women rangers from the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) Sea, Air and Mountain (SEAM) teamwork fearlessly on the front line.

On World Rangers Day, celebrated on Wednesday 31 July, SANParks Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Property Mokoena acknowledged the women’s contributions to nature conservation.

“As SANParks, we have employed terrestrial and marine rangers as well as the SEAM team, an elite team which consists of 16 operators, people who are working behind the scenes and who we are proud to inform you have a seven-member women team.”

READ | World Ranger Day: SANParks pays tribute to fallen and serving rangers

The women gather and analyse information to coordinate various deployments across the park.

“As we embark on Women’s Month in August, these ladies are doing an excellent job,” he said. “The SEAM team works with rangers, local law enforcement authorities and local stakeholders to address the wide range of challenges from environmental crimes to visitor safety operations.”

Mokoena spoke at a World Rangers Day celebration held at the SANParks offices in Tokai.

He elaborated on plans to increase the number of rangers working within the national parks across South Africa.

“This year, we are proud to announce plans to increase the number of rangers across sections of Table Mountain, as well as expand the SEAM team unit to enable an effective response to both marine, terrestrial and environmental crime as well as threats against our tourists and park users.”

Challenges

Women rangers, whose names and faces cannot be published to protect their identity, spoke about the challenges and passion of the job.

 a 34-year-old SEAM team member shared with People’s Post.

“As a team, we accomplish a lot, and of course, I’m not alone. I’m with my K9 companion and it is the best partner I could ever have.”

Her passion for the outdoors and nature conservation led her to become a field ranger in 2016 and to join the SEAM team in 2021.

“I don’t see myself doing anything else. I love nature and have a passion for the outdoors and conserving natural heritage . . . this is where my heart is.”

Meanwhile, her SEAM teammate says being a field ranger pushes her to the limit.

 she said.

“We have busy days and sometimes we don’t really know what a day would look like, so we take every day and challenge as it comes.”

The 32-year-old, who studied nature conservation, graduated in 2017.

“When the SEAM team was established, I saw it as an opportunity to grow and they needed women on the team,” she shared. “I love my job.”

‘God’s work’

Speaking about the challenges of being a woman working as a field ranger, a fellow 35-year-old ranger said they get the job done.

“I am 12 years in service, having started at the bottom as an environmental monitor and worked myself up, becoming a field ranger. Following that, I was recruited by our investigations unit, so now I manage the TMNP operations,” she commented.

“There are definitely challenges in this sort of work, also being a woman in a male-dominated arena, but we get the job done just like any other male counterpart.”

She described being a ranger as “God’s work” and a calling.

“One day there could be a rescue on the mountain, there could be poachers at sea or there could be a fire and a couple of life-threatening situations, but this is a passion. I love my job.”