Policing the wilderness: A descriptive study of wildlife conservation officers in South Africa

Of the various aspects of law enforcement, few studies have focused on those responsible for protecting wildlife conservation areas. Even less has been written on this from an international perspective where the protection of natural resources including flora and fauna can be of paramount importance for developing nations. To contribute to the literature about this subject, this research explores the role of wildlife conservation officers commonly referred to as field rangers in South Africa. Using field research methods, the authors examined the selection, training, and field operations of rangers comparing public sector officers to their private sector counterparts in a select group of game reserves.