Africa’s conservation journey is driven by the passion and ingenuity of its people. The greatest threat to the Kruger National Park’s white rhinos is being met with a powerful, home-grown response: conservation the African way. At its heart is the Tracker Academy, operating under a SANParks Technical Cooperation Agreement (TCA). Its highly skilled graduates, the Rhino Guardians, are reviving the ancient art of tracking to secure the species’ future. With Kruger’s rhinos facing local extinction by 2028, they’re bringing vital expertise to counter-poaching units and spearheading the ambitious Rhino Renaissance campaign.
The Rhino Renaissance is here to protect the future of the species, Image Credit: Marius Zeilinga
The Rhino Guardians: An Integrated Protection Strategy
South Africa holds an estimated 83% of Africa’s rhinos, and between 2012 and 2022, the Kruger’s white rhino numbers plummeted 85%, dropping from around 12,000 to a devastating 1,800.
The problem is stark: the core anti-poaching forces were deficient in the essential bushcraft and tracking expertise needed to reverse the catastrophic decline in rhino numbers. An audit in 2021 confirmed a profound deficiency in genuine tracking skills, while the experienced Master Trackers, custodians of this ancient knowledge, are now retiring.
A new TCA formalises how Tracker Academy specialists embed with Kruger teams to close this “bushcraft and tracking” gap, aligning training, deployment, and integrity protocols with SANParks’ operational needs.
Tracker Academy’s mission is to bridge this gap, proving that the ancient African craft of animal tracking remains vital to modern conservation. Their vision is simple – to use ancestral knowledge to create safe havens for endangered species.
Training the Future Force
The Rhino Guardian programme is the engine room of this effort. It trains and deploys highly specialised expert trackers to bolster counter-poaching units. This involves a year-long, formally accredited Conservation Guardianship programme for 16 recruits.
Training is comprehensive, incorporating specialist tracking skills, including bushcraft, alongside combat training. Recruits undergo continuous psychometric and integrity testing, with Tracker Academy citing a 12-year, 94% deployment success record. Programmes are CATHSSETA-accredited and FGASA-endorsed, delivered via the SA College for Tourism (Peace Parks Foundation).
In the field, Guardians help create “virtual bomas”. These small, mobile teams shadow rhino herds and feed real-time data (for example, from GPS collars, drone observations, and on-foot tracking) into SANParks' security operations to detect threats earlier, respond faster, and deter more effectively.
Learning the ancient art of tracking, Image Credit: Tracker Academy
The Masters of the Craft
The foundation of the Tracker Academy is built on the shared wisdom of masters who have dedicated their lives to the wilderness. This vital transfer of knowledge is best embodied by the enduring partnership between Master Tracker Renias Mhlongo and Alex van den Heever.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Renias, born into a Shangaan family within the Greater Kruger National Park, possesses an innate understanding of the bush, a traditional wisdom passed down through a hunter-gatherer culture. He co-founded the Tracker Academy to ensure this indigenous knowledge would not be lost, serving as a Trainer Mentor who instils in students not only technical skills but also a "pure heart" for conservation.
Partnering with him is Alex van den Heever, who became one of South Africa's youngest Senior Wildlife Tracker assessors after 27 years in the field. Their three-decade collaboration is a powerful example of how intercultural knowledge-sharing is the key to conservation success. Alex champions the belief that the ancient art of tracking offers profound lessons for modern risk mastery and decision-making, extending far beyond the limits of the reserve.
This expertise is reinforced on the frontline by figures like Head Trainer Amos Mzimba. Bringing 27 years of invaluable experience in the Kruger National Park, including a record of over 300 arrests, Amos ensures the Tracker Academy's training is grounded in the harsh, immediate realities of anti-poaching demands. Together, these masters forge the next generation of Rhino Guardians.
A team that has made a tremendous difference in the world of tracking, Image Credit: Tracker Academy
A Growing Demand for Expertise
The demand for these highly trained Rhino Guardians is surging, with numerous requests coming from private reserves and National Parks across Southern Africa. This initiative, further cemented as a G20 Legacy Project, is receiving vital support, including a commitment from the Rupert family to fund the Tracker Academy.
The restoration of the rhino population is more than a conservation target; it's an economic and social one. By deploying Rhino Guardians, the project creates career pathways into "green jobs" for young South Africans, directly linking their future and livelihoods to the economy of wildlife conservation.
This is the revival. It's South African ingenuity and ancestral skill, combined with modern technology, lead a new chapter in global conservation.
We have the power to save the rhinos if we work together, Image Credit: Tracker Academy
Your Journey Supports the Rhino Renaissance
The story of the Rhino Guardians is one of hope and expertise, and your luxury African safari is an integral part of this chapter. By travelling with us, you directly contribute to the sustainability of the ecosystems and communities that protect Africa's most vulnerable species. We're proud to champion the vision of the Tracker Academy and its commitment to training the next generation of conservation heroes.
Ready to witness the impact of this extraordinary work first-hand? Let our Travel Experts, who share this passion for conservation, curate an unforgettable journey that connects you with Africa's powerful natural legacy.
Contact us today to begin planning your tailor-made luxury safari.
