Promoting more effective wildlife monitoring by understanding the perceptions and occupational culture of wildlife rangers.

Published online
26 Nov 2020
Content type
Blog

Author(s)
Kuiper, T. & Massé, F. & Ngwenya, N. A. & Kavhu, B. & Mandisodza-Chikerema, R. L. & Milner-Gulland, E. J.
Contact email(s)
timothykuiper@gmail.com

Publication language
English
Location
Africa South of Sahara & Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study was conducted by interviewing 26 wildlife rangers in the Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe, to understand their attitudes towards patrol-based data collection. It was shown that the rangers saw data collection as a fundamental duty and reporting field observations to their supervisors as an important way to demonstrate a job well done. The occupational culture of rangers was a key driver of these perceptions and their broader behaviour, particularly their strong sense of duty and their deference to authority. This occupational culture strongly influenced how the rangers perceived their roles and responsibilities around data collection and management. These insights helped in the design of a strategy for achieving a more meaningful engagement of rangers with monitoring.

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