Our "boots on the ground"
Namibia's Community Game Guards are the "boots on the ground" who play a crucial role in patrolling, monitoring of wildlife and other resources, anti-poaching and law enforcement. Being an effective game guard is not an easy task and, to date, has not been perceived as a skilled job. A new accreditation system is being implemented which will incorporate more than 600 game guards and will provide a standardised assessment and accreditation system. The system recognises and assesses key competencies within 8 categories. These include aspects such as knowledge of the conservancy, effective liaision with people both within and outside the conservancy, and how to maintain an Event Book - a field based monitoring system used in all the communal conservancies of Namibia.
Within conservancies, the Event Book system is used for recording all observations, on a monthly basis. At a regional level, the game guards contribute to the annual game counts which give an indicator of the status and distribution of wildlife. The Community Game Guards are also responsible for the ticketing system which is used to monitor all hunting and own-use wildlife offtake and to ensure sustainable use of resources.
» see more information on Namibia's game count methodology and results.
