Pass Out Parade for Second Cohort of SEAM Rangers

Pass Out Parade for Second Cohort of SEAM Rangers

“𝘈𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘚𝘌𝘈𝘔 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘔𝘍 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘚𝘈𝘕𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘛𝘔𝘕𝘗. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘔𝘍𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 – 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦”. – Kerry Maree, Table Mountain Fund Manager

The Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) is a globally recognised natural wonder, celebrated for its rich biodiversity and iconic landmarks. Established in 1998, TMNP is one of the few national parks in the world located within a large cosmopolitan city. This unique location, while a major tourist drawcard, also presents a set of distinct challenges.

As a World Heritage Site, TMNP is not only a vital natural resource but also a hotspot for environmental crimes such as abalone and rock lobster poaching, illegal bark stripping, and the harvesting of fynbos species. The spillover of urban crime into the park’s open-access areas further compounds these challenges.

In response, in 2021, SANParks launched the Sea, Air and Mountain (SEAM) Rangers initiative, which has proven highly effective in addressing these issues through proactive law enforcement and crime prevention efforts. To further strengthen this approach, in late 2024, SANParks TMNP and Conservation Outcomes, with funding from the Table Mountain Fund, facilitated a rigorous recruitment process to select 24  additional SEAM Field Rangers to join the existing group of 16 rangers. Over 300 candidates applied, with 24 selected to undergo specialised training in 2025.

It was with great pride that TMF attended the pass out parade for the new SEAM Unit at Cape Point today (31 March 2025). This second cohort of rangers will expand the team’s capacity to tackle anti-poaching efforts and ensure visitor safety – enhancing park safety, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring the park’s territorial integrity.

While this is an unusual project for TMF to support, by funding the training of specialised Field Rangers, through SANParks Honorary Rangers, we are assisting our conservation partners to tackle environmental and social crimes, drive economic development through job creation, and, importantly, we are strengthening our longstanding relationship with SANParks.

Photo Credit: Kerry Maree