Ker & Downey Botswana (KDB), a subsidiary safari operator group Chobe Holdings Limited (Ltd) held a six-day training course on rifle handling for all the professional guides, who ply their trade in the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari.
Given the enormous responsibility that the guides have on ensuring the safety of their guests at all times, refresher courses on the different aspects of their work is critical to ensure they are always up to the task.
KDB guide manager and trainer Thuso Rasegojwa has echoed these sentiments, and further highlighted that guides come across various situations in the course of their duty, especially when leading guests on game drives and walks, boats and moroko and as such need to be prepared for any eventuality.
“How one operates the weapon during an incident or encounter with a wildlife determines the outcome of the instance, therefore our guides have to be proficient in this regard, and its only through such trainings that they can refresh their knowledge on such,” Rasegojwa said.
The training, facilitated by African Guides Academy focused on three areas, that commenced with the theory which was set under a classroom setting, followed by some dry drills where they had to check their weapons to see whether they were in operational status, and align with the sides and targets in preparations with the actual rifle handling exercise.
They then then went on to do the shooting targets, doing quick kills, shooting some familiar potentially dangerous animals within specified distances.
“They shot and did very well because it was a reminder. The idea is to train them every two years as a requirement,” he said.
That being done, the guides went on to engage into the malfunctioning exercise, another area they also have to train on as a potential element they may encounter on their line of duty.
Rasegojwa said the last element of the training involved lion simulation where they simulate shooting at a charging lion.
“They did very well, and their participation shows determination. As Ker & Downey, we empower our people – and guides because they are at the forefront and meet our guests first, we always make sure that their standards are at level required to ensure the safety of our guests,” Rasegojwa said. The training, he said was also meant to empower the guides in their personal professional space.
Meanwhile, a representative for African Guides Academy said the whole idea behind the training was to refresh the guides in terms of their shoot skills – within the elements of quick kill, malfunction element and lastly the assimilated animal charge.
The assimilated animal charge occurs when the guide is on a game walk and suddenly an animal occurs and tests their ability to handle guests and the charging animal at the same time.
The six-day course was completed last week, with 18 guides attending, while an extra 8 are still to undergo the training.
Ker & Downey Botswana, a subsidiary of Chobe Holdings Limited operates four camps in the Okavango Delta, namely Shinde, Shinde Footsteps, Okuti, and Kanana, while one – Dinaka is in the Kalahari.
