Maleska Harases bags top conservancy rhino ranger award
Female Conservancy rhino ranger, Maleska Harases recently bagged the Grassroots Owen-Smith Community Ranger Award, Save the Rhino Trust Namibia announced this week.
The award is presented annually to top-performing Namibian conservancy game guards, conservancy lion or rhino rangers, fish guards, or community resource monitors.
The Trust said in 2022 Harases logged 114 active field days, confirmed rhino sightings, and achieved 1161 foot kilometres, which positioned her ahead of many of the male rangers.
“She is a role model for other women who think that a ranger’s work is only fit for a man and in her wake, two additional female rangers have since joined her at ≠Khoadi-//Hȏas Conservancy and another 4 females rangers presently serve as Conservancy Rhino Rangers around the region,” they added.
According to the Trust, Harases exemplifies the future of community-based rangers, presently rivaling many of the men.
“She joined the programme in November 2020 and since then has produced a total of 202 active field days, 54 confirmed rhino sightings and amassed 2706 foot kilometres to protect what she refers to as ‘her rhinos’,” they concluded.
