Wes Leseberg is heading deep into the South African wilderness to teach anti-poaching patrollers at a hidden rhino sanctuary how to ride horses.
Key points:
- The 7th Light Horse Gundagai Troop were asked to conduct the course due to their knowledge of both horses and military tactics
- They will help train South African rangers, who regularly have dangerous clashes with poachers
- More than 250 rhinos were killed for their horns in South Africa over the first six months of 2022
The expedition is a big shift from his usual duties as president of a historic battle re-enactment group in the southern New South Wales town of Gundagai.
His knowledge of horses and military tactics led to the 7th Light Horse Gundagai Troop being asked to train mounted rangers at the Care For Wild sanctuary.
"We'll teach them how to ride, how to handle a horse both on the horse lines and in the field," Mr Leseberg said.
"Most of them have never touched a horse before, so it really is starting from scratch."
The light horse troop performs World War I battle re-enactments, which involve highly technical horseriding while under fire from fake guns and cannons.
Mr Leseberg said this training would be useful for the South African rangers, who regularly have dangerous clashes with poachers.
Useful knowledge
The troop was asked to conduct the course by James Cole, the unit commander for private contracting unit Recon Recovery.
He has trained mounted anti-poaching units for 10 years and says the Gundagai troop's experience with horses will be valuable in South Africa.
"For the job required in Africa training these fellas, I need blokes who know how to operate and handle horses," Mr Cole said.
"Having that military background with the 7th Light Horse goes well over there because where we're stepping into is a military environment.
"Because we're cavalry, all the equipment we're using, and all our training is based on the Australian Light Horse and the United States Cavalry."
The group will depart for Johannesburg this month before travelling to the rhino sanctuary.
The exact location of the Care For Wild sanctuary is not disclosed to the public for security reasons.
Potential dangers
Almost 260 rhinos were killed for their horns by poachers in the first six months of 2022, according to the South African government.
The practice is the greatest threat to rhino populations and poachers can face jail sentences of up to 25 years if caught.
Mr Leseberg expects the rhino sanctuary to be an intense and "somewhat dangerous" environment.
"[Poachers] can make far more than they'll ever dream of earning in a year with one hit on a rhino so it's quite lucrative and worth the risk for them," he said.
"They're there to try and make some money by doing criminal acts and hopefully we'll be able to train guys to stop them."
As well as the armed poachers, Mr Cole said the mounted units would also need to be wary of lions, leopards, buffalo and the rhinos themselves.
He said part of the training would focus on understanding when their horses were trying to warn about a potential danger ahead.
Gratifying experience
Despite the risks, Mr Leseberg is excited for the journey and expects it to be a rewarding experience.
"For me personally, going out to do some anti-poaching work is something I've always dreamed of," he said.
"Getting out and serving a community to help them and help an animal that we can't afford to lose."
He will conduct the training for three months alongside Mr Cole and Joe Roberts, a fellow member of the Gundagai troop.
Mr Leseberg plans to make the expedition an annual traditional for the battle re-enactment group.