Rangers pictured at Badingilo National Park. | Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio.

At least 15 game rangers are undergoing two months of training at the Badingilo National Parks on how to manage the tourist site.

The training rangers were selected out of 60 soldiers who had to pass through rigorous training procedures.

The game rangers were selected from wardens at the Ministry of Wildlife, Lafon and Torit County of Eastern Equatoria State and Central Equatoria State.

Bridger General Zakiria Burga, the officer in charge of the Badingilo National Park said the eight-week training begun on February 23rd and will conclude towards the end of april.

“In this in-service training, we took some rangers from Badingilo Park and Lafon and Torit and the minister and the headquarters,” he said.

“They were 60 rangers and during the medical check-up, we end up with 15, starting the training with a drill and other office work later they will be trained in the field, so we began the conservation era.”

South Sudan has the largest wetland in Africa, the Sudd, lying along the Nile and covering 30,000 square kilometers.

On August 2022, the government and African Parks Network signed a 10-year renewable management agreement for Boma and Badingilo National Parks, which covered 9,000 square meters in Jonglei, Eastern and Central Equatoria states

On his part, Major Brutus Simon, the wildlife officers training the rangers said it is the first batch of wildlife rangers in South Sudan.

“We have already started the training to enhance the rangers’ skills and strengthening it – starting from weapons handling and other works of wildlife for them to be the first wildlife ranger batch in South Sudan.”

“Here, we currently have 15 rangers doing all the requirements. We are calling on our wildlife personal to be ready for similar trainings soon.”

The wildlife conservation has been faced with numerous challenges including rampant poaching and attacks against rangers and conservationists.

On March 8, 2023, a wildlife ranger was killed and his colleague was injured in an ambush by bandits along the Bor-Gadiang highway in Jonglei State yesterday.

The Director-General of the Ministry of Wildlife, Lt. General Khamis Adieng said the armed poachers ambushed a patrol convoy on the road linking Jonglei with Pibor.

Adieng said the wildlife rangers fought back against the bandits and arrested three of them.