Tracy Moyo
Wildlife rangers from across the Hwange-Matetsi-Zambezi landscape gathered at the National Park One-Stop Access Pavilion for the 2026 World Ranger Challenge, a 21-kilometer endurance event designed to test physical fitness, teamwork and the demands of field patrols.
Male participants competed while carrying packs weighing at least 22 kilograms of food supplies, while female participants carried 10-kilogram loads.
The challenge brought together rangers and frontline conservationists from state agencies, community initiatives and non-governmental organizations, including the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Painted Dog Conservation, Conservation and Wildlife Fund (CWF), Friends of Hwange, Mother Africa Trust, Hwange Safari Lodge, Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Dete Animal Rescue.
The global event honors serving and fallen rangers while raising awareness and support for equipment and services needed in the field, including boots, uniforms, rations, medical kits, specialized training and insurance.
Samson Chibaya, ZimParks Senior Regional Manager for Matabeleland North, said the challenge was also an opportunity to strengthen cooperation among conservation partners and improve ranger readiness.
“Today we saw rangers from across the landscape, community scouts, and partnering NGOs running as one team, breaking silos and building brotherhood. This challenge aims to drive conservation awareness and boost tourism,” said Chibaya.
He said the event also provided an opportunity for partners to help address operational gaps while strengthening ranger morale, physical fitness, teamwork and discipline.
Friends of Hwange won this year’s competition, taking the title from defending champions Conservation and Wildlife Fund (CWF).
Johnson Manyakara, Senior Ranger in Resource Protection for Friends of Hwange, said the team’s work includes anti-poaching patrols, firefighting and snare removal across areas including Kakori, Safari, Mambanje and Gwayi.
“We look after national resources… we fight fires, conduct anti-poaching operations, and remove snares. We have won four cases to apprehend poachers, and we are happy because we are seeing positive changes where we are working, along with improvements in wildlife movement,” Manyakara said. “World Ranger Challenge Day is crucial for us. We are happy and motivated, and we hope to have more events like this. Last year we lost to CWF, but this year we managed to challenge them and came first.”
Manyakara added: “We appreciate this challenge because it motivates us to keep working out and improving our fitness, as our work requires us to be both physically and mentally fit. We hope for more awareness campaigns because it shows we are being appreciated and seen globally. We also thank Painted Dog Conservation for a wonderful collaboration; it proves we are one, despite facing continuous challenges with resources, equipment, and kits.”
The event also highlighted the longer-term role of conservation partnerships in anti-poaching efforts. Pathisani Mwanza of Painted Dog Conservation, who has worked with the organization for 16 years, said the landscape had seen changes in patrol operations over time.
“I have been with Painted Dog Conservation for the past 16 years. Painted Dog has played a major role in ensuring anti-poaching activity remains low, and we have seen a huge difference as teams are deployed deep into farms for patrols,” said Pathisani Mwanza of Painted Dog Conservation. “We are about the conservation of all animals found within our areas. We are gathered here to showcase the work we do as frontline rangers, and we are honored to remember our fallen heroes who lost their lives in the line of duty.”
For some participants, the event also marked career milestones. Emmanuel Mashonga, a canine handler with two years of service at CWF, was promoted from junior ranger to senior ranger.
“Today I am so excited to be promoted from junior ranger to senior ranger,” said Mashonga. “As part of the canine unit, I work and train with dogs. We are so proud to be included in wildlife conservation, and we want to pass this on to the upcoming generation so they see the beauty of nature and wildlife, feel encouraged to carry through the legacy, and become noble rangers.”
The annual challenge comes as conservation teams across Southern Africa continue to contend with poaching, human-wildlife conflict and resource constraints. Organizers say the event provides a platform to strengthen cooperation among frontline teams while drawing attention to the equipment, training and support needed by rangers working in the field.
