Ep 12: Precious Malapane – K9 handler, field ranger, and fierce woman of conservation.

Ep 12: Precious Malapane – K9 handler, field ranger, and fierce woman of conservation.

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In this episode, I’m talking with my friend Precious Malapane. Precious is from Mpumalanga, South Africa, where she grew up on the boarder of Kruger National Park. She became a ranger at the Southern African Wildlife College, where she then went on to become a K9 handler and trainer. Precious deployed with K9s to support rangers in the field tracking poachers, and she helped train new candidates in ranger selections and training courses at the College. She is now working as a field ranger and K9 handler out in the field.

In this conversation, we talk about how Precious first connected with wildlife, her love of dogs, what it was like as a woman in ranger selection and training, and her advice for women wanting to become a ranger. There are a ton of stories about working with dogs, overcoming tough challenges, and following that passion within. During the podcast, we struggled with some minor connection issues, but hang in there. Precious’s enthusiasm and stories make up for it.

Ep 8: Ruben De Kock – A life of training rangers as the frontline of conservation.

Ep 8: Ruben De Kock – A life of training rangers as the frontline of conservation.

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In this episode, I’m talking with my good friend Ruben de Kock. Ruben was first a soldier in the South African Defence Force, where he specialized in training equestrian and motorcycle skills along with weapons handling. When he retired as a Staff Sergeant he began training field rangers for the Bureau of Natural Resources in KwaZulu-Natal. There he met the legendary ranger trainer Martin Mthembu, who soon became Ruben’s best friend and eventually partner in their own business, African Field Ranger Training Services. Together, along with Ruben’s wife Marianne, they trained thousands of rangers across Africa, Asia, and Europe. Later they sold AFRTS to the Southern African Wildlife College, and now Ruben works as the Development Manager at LEAD Ranger. He is also one of the stars of our film RHINO MAN.

In this chat, we take a trip into Ruben’s storied past – plane crashes in the Congo, poacher encounters in the bush. We learn about his time in the military, and when he first trained rangers at Ntinini under conservationist Nick Steele. We dive deep into his relationships with his friend Martin and his wife Marianne, and we explore Ruben’s passion for everything rangers. He has truly dedicated his life to fighting for field rangers, making sure that they get the best skills and support they well deserve. So without further ado, let’s jump into this epic conversation.

LEARN MORE
LEAD Ranger: leadranger.org
Southern African Wildlife College: wildlifecollege.org.za

Ep 4: Altin Gysman – Leadership, humility, and ranger training at the SAWC.

Ep 4: Altin Gysman – Leadership, humility, and ranger training at the SAWC.

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In this episode, I’m talking with Altin Gysman. Altin was born in the Eastern Cape, and worked his way up to Lieutenant Colonel in the South African National Defence Force. In 2018, he joined the Southern African Wildlife College as a Senior Course Leader, and now he is the Head of the Protected Area Integrity Unit/African Field Ranger Training Services.

In this chat, we talk about Altin’s military background and how that has influenced his current role in training rangers. We dive deep into the many jobs of a ranger, the vast set of skills taught at the Wildlife College, and the role of Project Braveheart. We also dig into what it takes to get through a ranger selection program, similar to the one featured in our film Rhino Man.

FOLLOW
Instagram: @wildlifecollege

Ep 1: Ashwell Glasson – The rhino poaching crisis, rangers, and the bigger picture.

Ep 1: Ashwell Glasson – The rhino poaching crisis, rangers, and the bigger picture.

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In this episode I have a wide ranging conversation with my good friend Ashwell Glasson. Ash is a Combatting Wildlife Crime Policy Specialist and Registrar at the Southern African Wildlife College, he’s an executive board member of the Field Guides association of Southern Africa, he has worked as a Field Guide, was a medic in the South African Defence Force, and has degrees in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, and Strategic Business Management.

We cover much of Ash’s education and employment background in the first part of this podcast, but it’s not just a boring list of accomplishments, it’s interwoven with stories about the history of South Africa and the complex problems and potential solutions surrounding the current poaching crisis.

From Ash’s background we dive deeper into the rhino poaching crisis, the importance of rangers, trust, and community engagement, and what part you could play in making the world a better place. There are plenty of stories and much to take away from this conversation. So let’s jump in.

FOLLOW
Instagram: @ashwellglasson
Facebook: @ashwell.glasson.92
LinkedIn: @ashwellbglasson