According to the Center for Biological Diversity, around 30,000 species get driven to extinction per year. Different factors influence worldwide, like global climate changes and poaching. Poaching primarily affects Africa, where up to 100 elephants get slaughtered every day.
Poaching is an illegal business that generates millions of dollars annually and drives the killing of thousands of endangered animals every day. As mentioned by Develop Africa, the animals at higher risk of poaching are the black rhino, the mountain gorilla, the lion, the imperial zebra, and the African elephant.
Although all the reserves have rangers on duty tasked with the protection of the animals, they don’t come with enough tactical experience or equipment to fight against poachers and prevent their attacks. VETPAW was founded to help combat poaching in Africa; we are a group of 9/11 US veterans, committed to protecting and training park rangers.
How VETPAW Works?
Veterans Empowered To Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW) trains local rangers free of charge and provides support on the ground along with local law enforcement to stop poachers before they act. We teach park rangers how to work smarter and faster, using the same tactical techniques our veterans learned.
Through training, VETPAW helps the local forces to maximize the positive impact they are already having, in a safe manner that also helps them stay safe. The International Ranger Federation states that around two rangers get killed every week, half of them murdered by poachers. We provide surveillance and protection to minimize killing.
We also believe that the best way to prevent poaching from happening in the first place is by educating local communities.
Help Us Win This Fight
You can help VETPAW and park rangers win this fight. Thanks to your support, we can operate; without it, it would be impossible. We also accept volunteers and offer different programs every year.
Even if you cannot donate directly or volunteer, your shopping efforts can be used to support us. We have agreements with Amazon Smile, eBay, iGive, and more, through your purchases you get to donate to VETPAW.