The ceremony was held in Skukuza in the presence of Sanparks staff, honorary rangers and Skukuza Primary School learners who celebrated with the graduates. During the ceremony the rangers paraded and general manager for conservation management, Danie Pienaar inspected the squad with his corporal, Vusi Lubisi.
On behalf of the new recruits, Ndivhuwo Mashimbye took a pledge to be resilient and stand tall against adversaries. The 33 graduates are part of the recruits who went through a rigorous preselection and selection process, followed by a sixweek basic field ranger training course. The selection process took place in July this year and required hopeful trainees to undergo physical fitness screenings, evaluations and interviews, and cognitive and aptitude tests.
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They also had to portray a dedicated attitude, as well as a commitment to teamwork to qualify for the job. They will be deployed to various sections throughout the park. The new recruits will provide a muchneeded boost to the current team of ranger corps and should be seen as a necessary measure to support law enforcement and biodiversity conservation efforts in the park, giving invaluable support to the men and women working on the ground.
The KNP is divided into 22 ranger sections, each section is managed by a section ranger who is supported by a group of field rangers. Over and above this, there are regional rangers who manage a number of ranger sections, as well as the Environmental Crime Investigations Unit, Protection Services, Special Operations Unit, K9 Unit and the Air Services Unit
