Dear Sir/Madam,

We are contacting you to correct some factual errors contained in your article of March 27: “Zimbabweans Found Dead In River Were Busy Taking Selfies When They Drowned”

The rangers were not being careless or “busy taking selfies” at the time. Publishing this implies that these brave and professional women were somehow at fault in their own deaths.

The women all carry work-issued phones which they use for backup communications. Whilst on patrol the phones may also be used to take pictures/video of water levels, vegetation, tactics, wildlife: anything which may be significant in their role as wildlife rangers. This media is used during training and to update the operations room so there is better real-time understanding of any situation. This operational use of phone cameras is very different to “taking selfies”.

We ask that you amend the article accordingly in order to pay due respect to these fine Zimbabwean women and their instructor.

Sincerely,

Damien Mander
Founder – International Anti-Poaching Foundation
www.iapf.org