Latest news with #EarthRanger
Newsweek
23-07-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Fluent English Speaker Needed for Full-Time Paid Job Looking After Cheetahs
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In a remote stretch of the Zambezi Valley in Mozambique, Africa, a team of wildlife conservationists are hiring for a job they call "a once in a lifetime opportunity." The Panyame Cheetah Project, based in the vast 210,000-hectare Panyame Wildlife Conservancy, is looking for a full-time Cheetah Monitor to live deep in the bush and be involved in tracking, feeding and safeguarding the fastest land animals on Earth. The job role is no desk job, involving rugged daily treks through Jesse bush and riverine forest, telemetry-based tracking across the cheetah territory—all while living off-grid in a bush camp on the banks of the Zambezi River. "This is real conservation in action," Panyame Cheetah Project said on social media, urging candidates with data skills, fitness, and a passion for wildlife to apply. "From feeding cheetahs in the bomas to tracking them across 210,000 hectares... We're looking for a committed, hands-on field assistant." A file photo of a cheetah lounging in the wild. A file photo of a cheetah lounging in the from this, the project encouraged applications from far and wide, adding: "If you're passionate about wildlife and ready for a life in the bush, apply now." The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list has listed the cheetah as a threatened species since 2021. With an estimated population of 6,517 mature animals in the wild, their numbers are decreasing. The threats to cheetahs are varied, from hunting and trapping to residential development and wildfire risks. Founded in 1993, the Panyame Wildlife Conservancy supports four of Africa's "Big Five" species. The job will require collaboration with anti-poaching units, helicopter-assisted tracking, and an ability to manage large datasets using EarthRanger and Microsoft Excel. While English fluency is a must, Portuguese and Shona speakers may have an edge. More than anything, however, Panyame is looking for someone who thrives in isolation and is willing to trade creature comforts for conservation impact. The job has captured plenty of attention online after Panyame shared the job posting on their Instagram page last week. It's amassed thousands of likes, and in the comments, people shared thoughts from well-placed jokes to amazement at the unique role. "What happened to the last employees?" said one commenter. While another wrote: "Do they respond to pspspsps?" One Instagram user joked: "Work from home available?? I'll take cheetah's to my home." Meanwhile many people longed for the idea of the one-of-a-kind job. "In another life perhaps. What an amazing opportunity!" wrote one commenter. Applications for the role are still currently open and available via a Google form here. While the salary for the role hasn't been confirmed, replying to a comment on the Instagram post, the Panyame Conservancy said: "The salary will be dependent on the successful applicants experience and qualifications." Newsweek reached out to The Panyame Cheetah Project via email for comment.
Scotsman
26-06-2025
- Science
- Scotsman
Why deer in the Highlands are being fitted with GPS collars
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Deer will be fitted with GPS collars in Scotland in a new, joint initiative to track their movement and behaviour for management purposes. The project is part of a study between rewilding charity Affric Highlands and Durham University, and is supported by the Association of Deer Management Groups (ADMG). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It will focus on red deer in the Ross-shire area of the north west Highlands. The South Ross Deer Management Group will deploy GPS collars on 22 stags from Glen Affric to the west coast. Twelve stags have already been collared, to be followed by a further 10 this winter. Collared stag being monitored by researchers and stalkers | Siân Addison Those behind the initiative said six GPS ear tags have been deployed on deer calves to provide data on hind movements, with a plan to tag more calves next spring. The collars allow researchers to analyse where red deer prefer to be, and how they interact with the environment, including their habitat preferences during rutting, calving and foraging. Data will be stored on the collars, but also sent via satellite to EarthRanger – an app which allows deer stalkers to view deer movements and manually add their own observations. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The study area includes a range of landowners with different land management practices, from sporting estates to purely conservation work. While stalkers in Scotland have been using modern technology to track deer for years, the charity said it believes the initiative is the first of its kind in the location where the study is taking place and with the multi-landowner approach. Affric Highland said so far, 18 deer stalkers from 14 sporting estates are involved, 'bringing invaluable knowledge of deer behaviour, built over decades of experience.' The charity said the new project will help future decisions and collaboration between landholdings on deer management, which has been a point of controversy between different rural groups. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Researcher Dr Eilidh Smith, from Durham University, said: 'Through this innovative research, we'll be tracking and mapping red deer movements to assess their seasonal migrations, home range sizes, and responses to human activities such as fencing, culling and commercial stalking. 'We'll also conduct habitat surveys in areas where the GPS data reveal that deer have been foraging or sheltering, to analyse their environmental impacts.' Nicola Williamson, a field officer for Affric Highlands, said: 'Strengthening our understanding of how these iconic and ecologically important animals move across estates and habitats is key to recovering ecosystems and improving deer health. This in turn supports rural economies and livelihoods through skilled deer management, and sustainable sport and nature-based tourism.' Arran Matheson, a deer stalker on Scotland's west coast who has been involved in the project, said: 'Taking part in the red deer collaring project with Nicola and Eilidh has been a great experience. We've worked together to locate, track, and fit GPS collars on the deer as part of this important conservation effort. This will give vital data about the deer's habitat use and movement patterns, and it's something I know a lot of stalkers will be very interested in.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The project was granted a licence by the UK Home Office and approved by Durham University's Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body. Affric Highlands is currently working to secure additional funding for the initiative, to enable more GPS collars to be deployed and to fund the collation of the two years' worth of data for use by land managers. Red deer are Scotland's largest surviving terrestrial mammal, and a keystone species that plays a crucial role in natural processes, shaping the landscape by grazing grasses and sedges, browsing tree shoots and shrubs, and trampling and wallowing. Affric Highlands, among other conservation groups, said the current level of deer numbers are 'a major barrier' to tree planting initiatives.
The Herald Scotland
25-06-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Highland red deer tracked by GPS in innovative study
By strengthening understanding of how red deer move through the landscape, the initiative will provide scientific evidence to support future decisions and collaboration between landholdings on managing deer densities and restoring habitats such as native woodlands and peatlands. 'Red deer are a vital part of Scotland's upland landscapes and rural economies – but increased populations have led to challenges in balancing ecological health, biodiversity, and land management objectives,' said Nicola Williamson, field officer for Affric Highlands. READ MORE: 'Strengthening our understanding of how these iconic and ecologically important animals move across estates and habitats is key to recovering ecosystems and improving deer health. This in turn supports rural economies and livelihoods through skilled deer management, and sustainable sport and nature-based tourism.' While deer management is a much-debated topic in Scotland, limited scientific data is available to help inform and support approaches to practical management and achieve biodiversity goals at landscape-scale. The research in the South Ross Deer Management Group area will deploy GPS collars on 22 stags from Glen Affric to the west coast. Twelve stags have already been collared, to be followed by a further 10 this winter. Six GPS ear tags have been deployed on deer calves to provide data on hind movements, with a plan to tag more calves next spring. The collars allow researchers to analyse where red deer prefer to be, and how they interact with the environment, including their habitat preferences during rutting, calving and foraging. Data will be stored on the collars, but also sent via satellite to EarthRanger – an app which allows deer stalkers to view deer movements and manually add their own observations. EarthRanger (Image: EarthRanger) Researcher Dr Eilidh Smith from Durham University said: 'Through this innovative research, we'll be tracking and mapping red deer movements to assess their seasonal migrations, home range sizes, and responses to human activities such as fencing, culling and commercial stalking. 'We'll also conduct habitat surveys in areas where the GPS data reveal that deer have been foraging or sheltering, to analyse their environmental impacts.' The project team will work closely with landowners and deer managers to support collaboration across landholdings for better-informed and sustainable deer management. So far, 18 deer stalkers from 14 sporting estates are involved, bringing invaluable knowledge of deer behaviour, built over decades of experience. Arran Matheson, a deer stalker on Scotland's west coast who has been involved in the project, said: 'Taking part in the red deer collaring project with Nicola and Eilidh has been a great experience. We've worked together to locate, track, and fit GPS collars on the deer as part of this important conservation effort. This will give vital data about the deer's habitat use and movement patterns, and it's something I know a lot of stalkers will be very interested in.' The project, which adheres to the highest standards of animal welfare, has been granted a licence by the UK Home Office, and was also approved by Durham University's Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body. Capture protocols were designed in close collaboration with veterinarian Dr Neil Anderson from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. Collared stag being monitored by researchers and stalkers (Image: Siân Addison) The team at Affric Highlands is currently working to secure additional funding for the initiative, to enable more GPS collars to be deployed and to fund the collation of the two years' worth of data for use by land managers. The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is Scotland's largest surviving terrestrial mammal, and a keystone species that plays a crucial role in natural processes, shaping the landscape by grazing grasses and sedges, browsing tree shoots and shrubs, and trampling and wallowing. But high red deer populations are a major barrier to the large-scale natural regeneration of native woodlands – continuing centuries of human-driven deforestation and negatively affecting deer health and welfare. Including roe deer and non-native sika, it is estimated there are around one million wild deer in Scotland, up from around 500,000 in 1990. Deer populations can range in densities, sometimes exceeding 40 deer per square km. Deer management is the UK's single largest terrestrial wildlife management operation. With support from the Association of Deer Management Groups, many deer managers in the Highlands are working towards sustainable deer numbers in line with current and future legislation around Scotland's biodiversity goals. Affric Highlands launched as an independent charity this spring, after being established by Trees for Life with support from Rewilding Europe. The community-focused initiative is the UK's largest rewilding landscape, and aims to restore nature and create social and economic benefits across more than 200,000 hectares of the central Highlands over the next 30 years. For more information, visit
Time of India
16-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Too many elephants? GPS collars help Zimbabwe villagers to avoid deadly encounters
Too many elephants? GPS collars help Zimbabwe villagers to avoid deadly encounters (Photo: AP) In the dusty borderlands of Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park , a silent battle plays out daily between survival and conservation. As climate change fuels longer drought periods and shrinks food sources, elephants increasingly stray into nearby villages in search of water and crops, which often have deadly consequences. To prevent these confrontations, a new high-tech early warning system is combining satellite data with old-fashioned community grit. Whenever GPS-collared elephants approach the buffer zones that separate wild lands from human settlements, local volunteer Capon Sibanda springs into action. 'Every time I wake up, I take my bike, I take my gadget and hit the road,' said Sibanda, 29, one of dozens of trained 'community guardians' working to keep both people and elephants safe as reported by AP. The GPS alert system, part of an initiative by Zimbabwe's wildlife authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), was introduced in 2023. It uses real-time tracking and the EarthRanger platform to monitor collared elephants, especially matriarchs, a woman who is the head of a family. Digital maps track movements and trigger alerts when animals cross invisible red lines separating protected and community lands. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Start Here - 2025 Top Trend Local network access control Esseps Learn More Undo This fusion of technology and community outreach has already begun to shift the dynamic. 'We still bang pans, but now we get warnings in time,' says Senzeni Sibanda, a local farmer and councilor. But the problem is bigger than GPS can fix alone. Zimbabwe's elephant population, estimated at 100,000 is nearly double what the land can sustain. Yet culling (killing animals in a group) has been off the table for more than four decades due to conservation pressure and high costs, but the human toll is rising,18 people were killed by wildlife between January and April this year; 158 aggressive animals were killed in response. The larger debate to cull has drawn global attention, some southern African nations, including Zimbabwe and Namibia, have proposed radical ideas from legalizing elephant meat to offering excess animals to other countries like Botswana's then-president offered to gift 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country's wildlife minister mock-suggested sending 10,000 to Hyde Park in the heart of London. Still, many see the tracking initiative as a hopeful step forward. So far, 16 elephants have been collared. It's a small start in Hwange, home to 45,000 elephants, but officials say it helps them make smarter, faster decisions based on real-time data.
Hamilton Spectator
16-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Zimbabwe is full of elephants and conflict with villagers is growing. A new approach hopes to help
HWANGE, Zimbabwe (AP) — When GPS-triggered alerts show an elephant herd heading toward villages near Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, Capon Sibanda springs into action. He posts warnings in WhatsApp groups before speeding off on his bicycle to inform nearby residents without phones or network access. The new system of tracking elephants wearing GPS collars was launched last year by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It aims to prevent dangerous encounters between people and elephants, which are more frequent as climate change worsens competition for food and water. 'When we started it was more of a challenge, but it's becoming phenomenal,' said Sibanda, 29, one of the local volunteers trained to be community guardians. For generations, villagers banged pots, shouted or burned dung to drive away elephants. But worsening droughts and shrinking resources have pushed the animals to raid villages more often, destroying crops and infrastructure and sometimes injuring or killing people. Zimbabwe's elephant population is estimated at around 100,000, nearly double the land's capacity. The country hasn't culled elephants in close to four decades. That's because of pressure from wildlife conservation activists, and because the process is expensive, according to parks spokesman Tinashe Farawo. Conflicts between humans and wildlife such as elephants, lions and hyenas killed 18 people across the southern African country between January and April this year, forcing park authorities to kill 158 'trouble' animals during that period. 'Droughts are getting worse. The elephants devour the little that we harvest,' said Senzeni Sibanda, a local councilor and farmer, tending her tomato crop with cow dung manure in a community garden that also supports a school feeding program. Technology now supports the traditional tactics. Through the EarthRanger platform introduced by IFAW, authorities track collared elephants in real time. Maps show their proximity to the buffer zone — delineated on digital maps, not by fences — that separate the park and hunting concessions from community land. At a park restaurant one morning IFAW field operations manager Arnold Tshipa monitored moving icons on his laptop as he waited for breakfast. When an icon crossed a red line, signaling a breach, an alert pinged. 'We're going to be able to see the interactions between wildlife and people,' Tshipa said. 'This allows us to give more resources to particular areas.' The system also logs incidents like crop damage or attacks on people and livestock by predators such as lions or hyenas and retaliatory attacks on wildlife by humans. It also tracks the location of community guardians like Capon Sibanda. 'Every time I wake up, I take my bike, I take my gadget and hit the road,' Sibanda said. He collects and stores data on his phone, usually with photos. 'Within a blink,' alerts go to rangers and villagers, he said. His commitment has earned admiration from locals, who sometimes gift him crops or meat. He also receives a monthly food allotment worth about $80 along with internet data. Parks agency director Edson Gandiwa said the platform ensures that 'conservation decisions are informed by robust scientific data.' Villagers like Senzeni Sibanda say the system is making a difference: 'We still bang pans, but now we get warnings in time and rangers react more quickly.' Still, frustration lingers. Sibanda has lost crops and water infrastructure to elephant raids and wants stronger action. 'Why aren't you culling them so that we benefit?' she asked. 'We have too many elephants anyway.' Her community, home to several hundred people, receives only a small share of annual trophy hunting revenues, roughly the value of one elephant or between $10,000 and $80,000, which goes toward water repairs or fencing. She wants a rise in Zimbabwe's hunting quota, which stands at 500 elephants per year, and her community's share increased. The elephant debate has made headlines. In September last year, activists protested after Zimbabwe and Namibia proposed slaughtering elephants to feed drought-stricken communities . Botswana's then-president offered to gift 20,000 elephants to Germany, and the country's wildlife minister mock-suggested sending 10,000 to Hyde Park in the heart of London so Britons could 'have a taste of living alongside elephants.' Zimbabwe's collaring project may offer a way forward. Sixteen elephants, mostly matriarchs, have been fitted with GPS collars, allowing rangers to track entire herds by following their leaders. But Hwange holds about 45,000 elephants, and parks officials say it has capacity for 15,000. Project officials acknowledge a huge gap remains. In a recent collaring mission, a team of ecologists, vets, trackers and rangers identified a herd. A marksman darted the matriarch from a distance. After some tracking using a drone and a truck, team members fitted the collar, whose battery lasts between two and four years. Some collected blood samples. Rangers with rifles kept watch. Once the collar was secured, an antidote was administered, and the matriarch staggered off into the wild, flapping its ears. 'Every second counts,' said Kudzai Mapurisa, a parks agency veterinarian. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
