WOUNDS IN THE WILD: A SERIOUS, FUN DAY OF TRAINING

It was a fun, fake blood-filled day in the bush for our rangers and Green Mambas earlier this month as they completed Emergency Wilderness First Aid training thanks to our partners at Global Conservation Force. Read more in our latest blog below.

GCF Field Medic Instructor, Chris, teaching a Green Mamba the “stop the bleed” technique.

It was an action-packed day at our reserve for Wild Tomorrow’s rangers and Green Mambas earlier this month, as they completed wilderness first aid training! As we get ready to welcome elephants, rhinos and lions to the Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve, staff safety around potentially dangerous wildlife is a key concern. Safety and risk-reduction is achieved through training and exposure, and that’s where our partner, Global Conservation Force (GCF), a San-Diego based fellow wildlife conservation charity, were able to help. The training they provided emphasized real-life issues that rangers may face in the field, complications such as remote evacuations, treating injuries in the bush, and the importance of teamwork.

The Green Mambas learnt how to use a tourniquet to stop severe bleeding.

Our team were guided through these life-saving skills by Chris Laursen, the lead Field Medic instructor at Global Conservation Force (GCF). Chris and his team not only delivered specialized field medic training but were also excellent make-up artists creating Hollywood Oscar-worthy life-threatening wounds! Thus, the team was provided the necessary shock factor and realism during their training. With the use of real-life scenarios and makeup (including plenty of fake blood!), the rangers and Green Mambas learned how to “stop the bleed” by properly packing and dressing wounds, along with learning torniquet application. The team were also taught patient stabilization and mobilization, learning how to evacuate patients from the bush and into the appropriate areas of care. Each aspect of the training included hands-on scenarios and practice, with added stressors and pressure-based situations.

Who says learning can’t be fun? While the training served as a great team-building exercise, the rangers and Green Mambas had a blast and were able to showcase their acting abilities, really getting into their characters for the scenarios. There were many good laughs shared during the training!

We are very proud of our rangers and unstoppable Green Mambas. Also, many thanks to the Global Conservation Force for providing the Wild Tomorrow team with this valuable, life-saving training at the reserve! 

We send our appreciation to the Global Conservation Force for this valuable and potentially life-saving training support.

If you’re on the West Coast, you can support the Global Conservation Force by going to their upcoming Gala in San Diego on Sunday, November 5th. More details & link to tickets here.