Between September 10 and 18, the Niassa Special Reserve (REN) held an intensive training program for its Scouts, operators, and technical staff, aimed at strengthening emergency response capacity in the field.
The training covered modules of Basic First Aid / Emergency First Responder, including treatment of ballistic wounds, snake identification and handling, snakebite management, and defensive 4x4 driving in rough terrain. These modules directly address the risks faced by rangers in anti-poaching operations and other reserve protection activities.
The sessions were delivered by the Mozambican company Concord Safety (Concord Offshore Plus Lda), licensed by ANEP, and attended by the Governor of Niassa Province, Elina Judite Massiguele, who highlighted in her opening speech the importance of the initiative for ranger safety and professional recognition.
During the course, participants were trained in first aid principles, survival chain, proper use of first aid kits, CPR techniques for adults, children and infants, management of simple and multiple traumas, fractures, hemorrhage control, environmental injuries, and emergency care in remote and resource-limited environments.
According to the REN Administrator, Terêncio Tamele, “this training is expected to prepare rangers to act safely and effectively in emergencies, including animal attacks, severe injuries, and adverse weather conditions. The goal is to develop both practical and theoretical first aid skills, such as resuscitation, fracture immobilization, hemorrhage control, and trauma management, as well as ensuring safe driving practices for drivers in rugged and remote environments.”
The training activity was implemented under the Northern Mozambique Rural Resilience Project – MozNorte Project, funded by the World Bank Group, and channeled through BioFund, to support biodiversity protection and the safety of frontline conservation teams, through the co-management partnership agreement for the NSR between the Government of Mozambique and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).