Kind US veterans join forces to battle against wildlife poaching in Africa: 'To help the voiceless'

One of the most critical threats to our biodiversity and ecosystem balance is animal poaching. As illegal trades and demand for exotic goods flourished, poaching surged too and time and again, we notice in the headlines how certain wildlife species are getting endangered. At the same time, conservation efforts are on the run, thanks to some altruistic minds. If we have to picture conservationists, one would instantly think of biologists or experts in other scientific fields. However, some highly skilled U.S. veterans with dauntless battlefield experiences joined forces to fight a new battle, wildlife poaching, in Africa through the non-profit VETPAW.   

The Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife (VETPAW ) was the brainchild of U.S. Marine veteran Ryan Tate, who was deeply moved by a documentary. "On the show, there were some poachers, and instead of shooting the animal, they got a hold of a shootable tranquilizer. It doesn’t make a loud gunshot noise. They darted a female rhino. She went to sleep and they hacked her horn off," Tate told Grit Daily. He saw that even after the poachers left and the conservationists found her, the rhino was terrified for life and tragically died in the end. These visuals disturbed Tate greatly and in a life-changing moment, he decided "to help the voiceless."

Tate, now the founder and president of VETPAW, decided to utilize his military skills and team up with more U.S. veterans, creating jobs while helping endangered animals. The veteran quit his State Department job and founded VETPAW, which was recognized as a non-profit in 2014. With the help of some peers, Tate set off to work in the wilderness of Tanzania using money out of his pockets. He found that, in Africa, the only defense for the animals against the poachers was the wildlife park rangers and they were often exhausted by this demanding and dangerous job. "When you start messing with their bottom lines, which could be a million dollars for one horn, you get some very dangerous people who take notice," Tate explained to the outlet. 

While it was challenging to adapt to at first, the veteran soon became equipped to deal with the dangers. On developing a training plan to fight the deadly poachers, Tate started building up other U.S. vets and park rangers with military-grade defensive skills. "If I train one ranger and teach him everything I know, he can train others. We are multiplying rangers’ knowledge. It’s increasing their law enforcement and military IQ," he mentioned. In his Instagram post, Tate refers to his team at VETPAW as "Warriors for wildlife." Not just the vets and rangers, but even the village people were taught by the VETPAW to be considerate towards every animal. 

Currently, the VETPAW warriors have set up two sanctuaries in South Africa and working relentlessly toward wildlife conservation. Their prime focus is moving critically endangered rhino species out of poaching hotspots and also dehorning the rhinos without causing harm. Though rhino horns tend to grow back in a few years, it helps reduce the poacher's interest in targeting them. Over the 10 years, VETPAW has involved amputees, Purple Heart recipients and female veterans. "When you're fighting for animals, there's something pure about it. They love passing along their knowledge and experience," Tate pointed out. "You see veterans becoming conservationists. They've found something amazing. I'm super proud of that. It's so powerful. It's very rewarding," he added. 

You can follow Ryan Tate (@ryan_vetpaw) on Instagram for more content on wildlife conservation.