Gabriel Mangirane

Just another Virunga Park weblog

Gabriel from Rumangabo

About Me

12 Sep 2008

I have been a ranger for 20 years and I cannot imagine doing any other job. During this time, I have had many memorable experiences. One that comes to mind happened back in 1992, while I was on a joint patrol with Rwandan rangers in the Mikeno sector. We had just found fresh signs of poachers in the area and began tracking them. After a few hours of tracking, we decided to stop for a break. What we didn’t realize was that we had stopped right next to a group of buffaloes. Two male buffaloes suddenly broke into battle and ended up fighting within a few meters of us. When the weaker male began losing the battle, he turned on us. One of the Rwandan rangers panicked and fired a shot at the buffalo, who then ran off into the forest. The ranger felt bad about what he had done, and insisted that we follow the buffalo’s tracks to see what happened to him. After a few hundred meters, the buffalo came out of nowhere and charged straight at the ranger who had shot him, hitting him at full-speed. The ranger was in a bad way so we rushed him off to a hospital. He eventually recovered and now has a strong appreciation for the power of these animals.

gabrielm
  • Age: 54
  • Town: Rumangabo
  • Supporting gorillas from 30 Jul 1988

ABOUT ME Field Team

I am based at Rumangabo Station and I have been a Ranger since 1988. I am married to Francoise and we have 10 children. 

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