My father was a ranger in Garamba National Park in the northeast of the Congo. When I visited him as a child, I was always impressed by how disciplined rangers were and was overjoyed when my father and the other rangers took me out to see the wildlife in the park. I wish my children could see the abundant nature and wildlife that we had back then.

Like the rangers in my father’s time, my fellow rangers and I are dedicated and well trained. We follow the same basic rules during patrols. For example, we always carry enough rations and water to survive for several days, and we always time our walks so we can estimate how long it will take to get back to base. There are two types of patrol: round trip and “under tents” (ie overnight). Regardless of the type of patrol, we are rigorous and disciplined at all times because the forest contains many dangers. We must always be on alert for threats posed by animals and worst of all, those presented by poachers, and armed rebels.