The War On Poaching: British Forces On The Front Line

The British Army’s Grenadier Guards have this week revealed a secret that they’ve been hiding for the past three months.

They’ve been in Malawi, East Africa, along with a mixture of other regiments, helping in the fight to prevent poaching.

A select few members of various regiments have been patrolling the 548 square kilometres of woodland and savannah that makes up the Liwonde National Park.

The team have been removing traps set by poachers to kill the endangered wildlife that resides in the National Park.

In August this year, seven specially trained troops were deployed to the country in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.

Their primary aim was to mentor the rangers who permanently monitor and safeguard the park, so that they might better develop their skills to prevent poaching.

One of the main problems faced by the wildlife at Liwonde is snare traps set by poachers; the team removed 362 snares during their time in the National Park.

The team deployed are known as CPOs or counter-poaching-operatives, and their involvement in anti-poaching is due in part to the Prince of Wales.

It was his charitable foundation that helped to fund the use of British military techniques in an effort to prevent poaching.

Prince Harry, a former member of the British Army, spent time in Liwonde just last year.

Poachers pose a very real threat to both the park’s human and animal inhabitants- they’re armed with AK-47s, spears and knives, and in the last year over 100 African rangers have lost their lives.

So the help and training provided by the British forces is invaluable - teaching the rangers to protect both themselves and the wildlife.

All pictures courtesy of The Grenadier Guards/Twitter.