Zimbabwean wins Tusk Wildlife Ranger award

A Zimbabwean wildlife ranger, Jealous Mpofu, has been named by the wildlife charity Tusk as its ranger of the year.

Mpofu won the 2023 Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award for his commitment to the protection of African wild dogs, also known as painted dogs, at Hwange National Park - the country's largest natural reserve park.

He will fly to London this week to receive the prize that is also accompanied by a grant of £30,000 ($37,600). British monarch Prince William is associated with the charity and has previously presented the award to the winners.

Mpofu is the chief tracker at Painted Dog Conservation where tracks down and monitors packs of the wild dogs in Hwange National Park.

He is responsible for reporting the whereabouts of packs in conflict zones to anti-poaching units, and he leads them into the areas to sweep for snares, the charity Tusk said.

"He is always the first responder to any incident in our areas concerning the dogs, quickly diffusing any possible animosity towards them,” Peter Blinston, the executive director at Painted Dog Conservation, is quoted as saying.

Fewer than 7,000 painted dogs are left across the entire continent, according to the Painted Dog Conservation.