Veterans are people who served in the military in times of war. Once retired, plenty of them seek a way to keep serving in organizations with a real cause. One of those causes is protecting endangered wildlife in Africa, such as elephants and rhinos, who are continually being hunted by poachers. The value of rhinos’ horns and elephants’ ivory in the black market is significant, so their lives are in extreme danger, which has driven their populations to the brink of extinction.
What Veterans Do While Supporting This Cause?
Yes, veterans are very well-equipped with gear, assault rifles, vehicles, and more to enhance the protection of this endangered wildlife. But most importantly, they are powerfully equipped with training and skills to protect others and pass that awareness along to local rangers. So this is how they do it.
Train Local Rangers
Like every other nonprofit organization, VETPAW relies on donations to fund its operations. Every donation goes directly to training local park rangers to equip them to better extend their mission of protecting the endangered wildlife. All the skills transferred by veterans become a helpful tool for these guards to defend the preservation of such incredible animals.
Surveillance and Protection
While veterans are in these missions, they operate on the ground along with local African park rangers. They risk their safety and comfort, besides their knowledge, because they genuinely commit to this cause. Their presence is a vital deterrent to poachers who know they are up against a formidable force and to support the laws that ban wildlife killing.
Education and Conservation
Education is the key to a civilized future. Therefore, veterans take a step further when teaching the importance of the preservation of these animals’ life to the community around them. Every day, they engage in the monitoring and research of wildlife and endangered species.
Veterans Empowered To Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW)
VETPAW is one of the organizations that work and support the survival of these wildlife. We train park rangers to combat poaching on the ground in Africa, and we are genuinely committed to this cause and this community. We are a passionate organization dedicated to protecting the lives of elephants, rhinos, and other endangered species. We share our combat skills with rangers to keep poachers away and stop this illegal killing.