Wildlife for WarriorsVeterans and rangers, standing guard together
Wildlife for Warriors brings U.S. veterans to Southern Africa to train alongside, and learn from, the game rangers who protect wildlife on the front line. Service continues beyond the military.
Purpose through service
The mission of Wildlife for Warriors is to enable U.S. veterans to actively train, and learn from, African game rangers through practical instruction, mentorship, field exposure and scenario-based learning.
Funded by generous donors and sponsors, carefully selected veteran trainers travel to our operations center in South Africa, where they engage with community conservation initiatives. They then take part in a 6 day on-the-ground field program, supporting local game rangers with the skills they have asked for, in South Africa or a neighboring country.
The program places veterans in demanding field environments that call for commitment, teamwork, discipline and personal responsibility, while connecting them to conservation work with a clear purpose beyond themselves.
One program, three wins
For Veterans
Veterans apply hard-earned skills to protecting people and wildlife, and find renewed contribution, camaraderie and purpose as part of a team with a shared mission. Time in wild places, away from everyday pressures, gives room to reset, build confidence and return home with renewed direction for their families, workplaces and communities.
For Rangers
Rangers carry enormous responsibility with few chances for professional development or recognition. Being chosen shows that their work matters and that others will invest in them. Learning, eating and working together in the bush builds morale, trust and pride, and rangers leave with stronger skills and renewed belief in what they can do.
For Wildlife
Better-trained, more confident ranger teams give wildlife a stronger and more consistent line of protection. Calm, capable teams are better placed to deter harm before it happens and to respond quickly when animals, habitats or critical conservation areas are at risk.
What veterans bring to the bush
Rangers tell us what they need, and veteran trainers deliver it. It is a partnership built on mutual respect: rangers bring exceptional knowledge of wildlife, terrain and frontline conservation, and veterans bring leadership, structure and field experience.
- Leadership and team building
- Instructor training and mentoring
- Field medicine for people, canines and horses
- First aid, trauma response and casualty evacuation
- Patrol planning and leadership
- Emergency planning and incident command
- Navigation, mapping, GPS and compass
- Radio procedure and communications
- Observation, reporting and documentation
- Logistics, equipment and vehicle management
- Fitness and endurance conditioning
- Search-and-rescue fundamentals
- Data collection and conservation technology
- Team welfare, resilience and peer support
- Ethics, accountability and professional standards
Ten nights that mean something
Alongside the field program, veterans spend time at home base with the people and projects at the heart of Southern African conservation.
Projects in the community
- Animal Relief for Rural Communities: helping improve the welfare of animals and the communities they call home
- Global Conservation Corps: bridging the gap between communities and wildlife conservation through education and mentoring
- Moholoholo Wildlife Rehab Centre: caring for orphaned and confiscated wildlife and preparing them for release
Dogs on the front line
- Man tracking: play the poacher and be tracked by anti-poaching dogs, or wear the bite suit if you are brave enough
- Training and detection: see how wildlife trade detection dogs are trained and work
- Snare sweep: patrol the bush with rangers and their dogs, safely removing poachers’ snares, then turn your snare into jewelry
Big country
- Game drive: through Pridelands Game Reserve to see Africa’s iconic Big 5
- River cruise: on the Blyde River, through the dramatic scenery of Blyde River Canyon
Evenings with specialists
- Talks around the campfire at base, over a braai dinner. Each speaker is a specialist who stays to talk with the veterans through the evening.
- Veterinary: a wildlife vet explains how their teams work alongside rangers and conservation groups
- African skies: learn the southern night sky and how to navigate by its stars
Lives worth fighting for
Every skill a veteran passes on ends up here: with the animals rangers protect from poachers, snares and the illegal wildlife trade.
Rangers here also protect painted wolves, cheetahs, leopards, vultures and more. See the species CSIwild protects →
Hoedspruit, South Africa
Our home base is a private game reserve in the Hoedspruit area of Limpopo Province, South Africa, in rugged bushveld that is home to giraffe, zebra, leopard, nyala, painted wolves and hyena. Field programs currently run in South Africa (Kalahari), Namibia and Botswana.
Rotary Clubs nearby
Local clubs that could host visiting veterans, join a snare sweep, or partner on community projects. Distances are straight-line from Hoedspruit.
Find meeting times and contacts with the Rotary Club Finder.
Challenge is intentional. Support is non-negotiable.
Groups of 6 to 8 veterans, for real support and oversight.
The Operations Director and a manager are with the group at all times.
Veterans keep full choice over their wellbeing and which activities they join.
Fitness and challenge levels adapt to the individual where activities allow.
Some experiences may be unfamiliar, physically demanding or emotionally significant.
Meals by our in-house chef, at local restaurants, or from the field kitchen during training.
Founder and principal contractor
Vianna von Weyhausen
Founder and Program DirectorA lifelong conservationist, Vianna is Founding Director of CSIwild (Conservation Solutions International), a Texas nonprofit that trains and deploys wildlife protection dog units on three continents. She received The Explorers Club EC50 award, honoring “fifty people changing the world that the world needs to know about.” From 2021 to 2026 she was a Visiting Scholar in Ecology and Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University. With a background in clinical psychology and nutrition, she founded Wildlife for Warriors to combine her passions for conservation and psychological wellbeing.
SFW Conservation
Soldiers for Wildlife Principal ContractorA South African based international nonprofit active in the United States and across Southern Africa. For eight years SFW has delivered field-based conservation support through ranger training, working dog programs, anti-poaching and de-snaring work, wildlife rescue and community engagement, and has trained more than 200 wildlife rangers, and its team has worked on ranger medical training, scientific research and environmental education. SFWconservation.org
Built on years in the field
Wildlife for Warriors brings together two organizations that already protect wildlife on the front line every day.
CSIwild
Conservation Solutions InternationalCSIwild’s mission is to halt the demise of endangered species. Founded by Vianna von Weyhausen and launched in 2016 as Canines for Africa, it trains specialist dogs and their handlers alongside local rangers for anti-poaching, detection and tracking work.
Working in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Mali, India and the United States.
SFW Conservation
Soldiers for WildlifeBased in Hoedspruit, SFW works to save some of Southern Africa’s most endangered wildlife by training and supporting rangers, empowering local communities and backing local conservation partners. Founder John Garcia started it on a few hundred dollars a month.
Partners include the International Ranger Federation, the Field Rangers Association of Southern Africa and Rhino Revolution.
Service continues beyond the military
Everyone wants to feel needed. Letting people share their skills in service of something greater than themselves is why many veterans signed up in the first place.
Returning every year to train anti-poaching units and pass along what I’ve learned has been incredibly grounding for my mental health. I absolutely love this work, and it has truly been good for my soul. Collaborating with local teams in this breathtaking place feels like pushing through the coats in the wardrobe and emerging into the enchanted world of Narnia.
The skills transfer is absolutely invaluable, but of equal importance is the incredible morale boost it brings to what can otherwise be a tedious task.
This training has significantly advanced the skills, confidence, and operational readiness of our ranger team.
The program left the team feeling motivated, valued, and better equipped, with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and purpose in their work.
Reserve testimonials describe training delivered by SFW Conservation. More veteran stories coming soon.
Stronger together
We work with organizations that share our commitment to endangered species and the people who protect them.
RAGES
The Rotary Action Group for Endangered Species connects Rotarians worldwide who work to protect threatened wildlife, from anti-poaching support to education and demand reduction. Together we can link Rotary clubs with frontline ranger teams.
About RAGES → Placeholder link until the RAGES site address is confirmedEndangered Life
A home for people working to protect endangered species around the world. Learn about species at risk, the projects defending them, and how you can help.
Visit endangeredlife.org →Lowveld Rotary Clubs
Rotary Clubs across Limpopo and Mpumalanga are natural neighbors for our program, from fellowship with visiting veterans to joint service projects in the communities around Kruger.
See clubs on the map →Help a veteran answer the call
Every experience is funded by donors and sponsors. Here is how you can help.
Donate
Gifts of any size fund ranger training and frontline conservation.
Sponsor a veteran
Cover the full experience for one veteran, or join with others to send a whole team.
Apply
U.S. veterans with skills to share can express interest in a future program.
Partner with us
Rotary Clubs, businesses and foundations can sponsor teams and join projects.
of all funds raised go directly to frontline conservation projects in Southern Africa.
Get in touch
Questions about sponsoring, partnering or applying? Send us a note and our team will reply.
Wildlife for Warriors operates as a 501(c)(3) through its fiscal sponsor, The Givinga Foundation. Founded by Vianna von Weyhausen of CSIwild, a Texas nonprofit.