Last week, 42 rangers graduated after three months of intensive training in Bale Mountains National Park.
The Bale Mountains are one of Africa’s most important ecological landscapes: a critical watershed supporting millions of people, home to unique Afroalpine ecosystems, and a refuge for globally significant biodiversity including the Ethiopian wolf and mountain nyala.
Of these graduates, local “militia” also participated in the training programme. These militia are civilian auxiliaries periodically mobilised by the government to support internal security and stability operations, including joint patrols with rangers. Their uniforms may be different, but together, they worked and learned as one, including about Human Rights and how to work with communities. The understanding forged in terms of team cohesion and meeting national objectives of joint activity is fantastic and really encouraging!
Combined with the 35 rangers and militia who graduated from the same programme last year, this means that the entire Bale ranger workforce has now received structured, accredited training designed to develop skills, strengthen competence, and build confidence across all essential aspects of the ranger role.
This is a major milestone for conservation professionalisation in Ethiopia, and also marks an important step as Ethiopia works towards meeting global conservation commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Huge congratulations to all 42 graduates, our brilliant team of instructors, and everyone involved in making this happen!
We are deeply grateful to Frankfurt Zoological Society for their outstanding work protecting the Bale landscape and for their continued support throughout this programme. We also thank the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority for their commitment to conservation and institutional support, the Australian Embassy in Ethiopia for helping make this milestone possible and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) for supporting the City & Guilds certificates.
