On September 18 Wildhood had a meeting with Damien Mander in London, prior to one of his talks. The purpose of the meeting was learning more about how Damien through his organization IAPF; International Anti Poaching Foundation, is working to fight poaching in South Africa, as well as evaluating the possibilities of a future collaboration between Wildhood and IAPF.
Damien Mander, a former Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver and Special Operations Sniper, served three years and multiple tours in Iraq. Upon leaving Iraq in 2008 Damien put his life savings on the line to found the IAPF.
Dedicated to protecting elephants and rhinos from the brutal onslaught of criminal poaching syndicates the IAPF operates with cutting edge strategies and technologies to curb poaching while protecting the ecosystems that support a vast array of wildlife.
”Our first responsibility is to nature. We understand the big picture – the scope and complexity of conservation from the political level, right through to the community level. Most importantly, we understand where we fit in and that is using our niche skill-sets and determination on the front lines of conservation. We are committed to stopping the hemorrhaging of life. We are committed to buying time for these animals. We are wildlife conservation through direct action and our home is in the tranches, says Damien Mander.”
According to IAPF their mission is Wildlife Conservation through direct action. This is being accomplished by:
- Anti-poaching ranger training
- Conservation security plans
- Anti-poaching operations
- Wildlife crime information systems
- Specialist technology and systems for anti-poaching operations
- Field equipment procurement and supply