History
This non-profit organisation was founded in 2010 by Alex van den Heever and Renias Mhlongo, two of the best trackers in South Africa, along with Gaynor Rupert. They formed the organisation to educate, train and empower young, unemployed Shangaan men and women in the Lowveld region of South Africa.
These young Shangaan men and women come from poor communities that border the Kruger National Park, many of which were forced from their traditional land in Kruger when it was proclaimed a national park.
Tracking is one of the most ancient human skills. Until recently, the skill had been dying out slowly, with the loss of indigenous knowledge and cultures. Tracking is experiencing a rebirth, however, as it is an essential requirement by the anti-poaching and safari tourism industries, as a way to track both poachers (anti-poaching, especially rhino poaching) and to find animals like leopards and lions (safari lodges).
Rhino poaching in Africa continues unabated, with hundreds of white and black rhinos being killed every year for their horns, to be sold primarily in Asia. The Rhino Guardian program at Tracker Academy is of particular interest, because it trains young men and women to become expert anti-poaching trackers, who can then be deployed with anti-poaching rangers to track and locate rhino poachers in Southern Africa.
In the past decade, Tracker Academy has trained over 280 previously unemployed young men and women, of whom 95% now have jobs in the anti-poaching and safari industries. These young people had no opportunities previously, but are now seen as role models within their communities alongside Kruger. As such they are seen as disciples of conservation among these people who once lived in Kruger.
Tracker Academy has two small training bases – both in the Kruger region. Each training base has two instructors, who train 32 students per year. Many of these young students have never tracked before, yet by the end of the year they are expert trackers.
