Protect the Line
While many focus on wildlife alone, we focus on the Rangers who stand between extinction and survival — protecting both endangered animals and the people who defend them.
P.I.G. Poaching Interdiction Group
A PIG Team is composed of experienced American Marines and Special Operations veterans who apply disciplined training, planning, and operational support to help Rangers interdict poaching activity, protect endangered wildlife, and return safely from every patrol.
Over the past decade, more than 1,000 Rangers have been killed confronting organized poaching operations — often while under-equipped and outmatched.
Our mission is grounded in a shared responsibility to protect life, preserve ecosystems, and ensure future generations inherit a world worth defending.
We work to ensure Rangers are prepared, protected, and capable — so they can deter threats, control encounters, and avoid unnecessary violence whenever possible.
We strengthen Ranger capability through modern equipment, observation tools, and training rooted in law-enforcement discipline, situational awareness, and patrol safety—lessons learned from decades of operational experience.
Interdiction is not about escalation.
It is about denying opportunity, removing surprise, and forcing criminal networks to abandon ground before animals are killed or Rangers are harmed.
Species we Will protect
Elephant
Rhino
Giraffe
By strengthening Ranger capability through training, equipment, and observation tools, P.I.G. Team helps reduce poaching activity before animals are harmed.
Training Subjects
Rangers operate in an environment where the financial incentives favor criminal networks. Effective training, equipment, and early detection are essential to close that gap and restore deterrence.
Surveillance
We provide training that strengthens Ranger surveillance, patrol discipline, and early-threat detection—improving safety, awareness, and the ability to interdict poaching activity before animals are harmed.
Collaboration
We work in close partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Ziwa and Murchison Falls Rangers, Uganda-based NGOs, and local communities—supporting a coordinated, locally led approach to poaching interdiction and wildlife protection.
Technology
By employing small unmanned aerial systems (UAS), we extend the effective range of Ranger patrols—improving safety, detecting threats early, and locating snared or injured animals in time to intervene before injury becomes fatal.
Featured Victims
elephant
- They’re the world’s largest land animal.
- Both male and female African elephants have tusks. In regions like
Murchison Falls National Park, ivory can command thousands of dollars per pound on the black market—driving organized poaching. - An elephant’s tusks are actually elongated teeth. Once removed, it does not regrow—a common yet dangerous misconception. Poachers use indiscriminate methods such as wire snares and high-powered weapons, causing prolonged suffering and often killing animals slowly.
- Elephants have around 150,000 muscle units in their trunk.
- Elephants may consume up to 330 pounds (150 kg) of food per day, much of which passes through undigested—playing a critical role in seed dispersal and ecosystem health.
- Worst Part: Nearly 90% of African elephants have been deliberately killed in the past century, primarily to satisfy the ivory trade, leaving an estimated 415,000 surviving in the wild.
rhino
- Black and white rhinos are similar in color. The term “white” comes from a mistranslation of the Dutch word wijd (“wide”), referring to the animal’s broad, grazing mouth, vs. the more petite mouth of the Black rhino, eating mainly bushes.
- The Rhino horn has sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars on the black market, making rhinos prime targets for organized criminal networks.
- A group of rhinos is called a ‘crash’.
- In organized poaching, living animals are reduced to commodities. Horns are removed, and the animal is often left to die from blood loss, sepsis, or infection—an irreversible act driven entirely by profit.
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary demonstrates what is possible when protection is consistent: rhinos can recover when deterrence works, and opportunity is denied.
Some of our Sponsors
SUPPORT THE MISSION
PIG Team directs support where it has immediate, measurable impact: Ranger safety, early detection, and operational readiness. Below are current mission needs.
MISSION DEPLOYMENT
Travel Cost per Veteran: $3,232.88
Three-week mission cost for one veteran, including:
International airfare
Meals and lodging
Travel insurance
4×4 ground transportation
Required incidentals
These costs enable experienced Green Berets to train Rangers on-site without disrupting patrol operations.
FIELD OPTICS & OBSERVATION
Binoculars (20 units): $660.00
Initial issue: 10 to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, 10 to Murchison Falls National Park.
Range Finders (20 units): $1,499.60
Essential for accurate distance determination during patrols and drone-assisted marking operations.
RANGER WEAPON SUSTAINMENT
Replacement Rifle Parts: $42.43 per rifle
Many Ranger rifles are serviceable but worn. Initial requirement: 100 rifles.
Projected future requirement: up to 500.
3× Prism Red Dot Sights: $99.00 each
Improves speed and accuracy under stress.
Initial requirement: 100 units, with potential expansion to 500.
2-Point Rifle Slings: $13.98 each
Allows secure carry with rapid presentation. Developed through decades of operational use.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
Eye Protection (70 sets): $594.30
Protects against injury while improving depth perception and rapid target recognition.
Flashlights (70 sets): $2,100.00
Ranger operations are 24/7. Existing lights are outdated and inadequate for night patrols.
AERIAL SURVEILLANCE & MAPPING
Multi-Sensor Drone: $5,300.00
Example: Autel EVO II Dual 640T V2
Used for mapping, thermal detection, and large-area situational awareness.
Murchison Falls National Park is roughly the size of Delaware; current maps are outdated.
Patrol-Sized Drones: $700.00 each
Example: DJI Mini 3 Pro
Provides patrol-level early warning, ambush avoidance, and rapid response to snared wildlife.
COMMAND & COORDINATION
Fusion Intelligence Centers (2): $4,146.70
One for Ziwa and one for Murchison Falls.
Includes large displays, secure storage, laptops, and required software for coordination and analysis.
✈️ DONATE AIRLINE MILES
Airline miles directly reduce mission costs and allow more resources to reach Rangers.
How to Donate Miles
Miles can be donated through most major U.S. airlines (United, Delta, American, etc.)
Donated miles are used for:
Veteran travel to Uganda
Reduced cash airfare expenses
Extending mission duration or adding instructors
To donate airline miles, please contact us directly so we can coordinate the transfer with the appropriate airline program.
Every donated mile keeps funds focused on training, equipment, and Ranger safety.
Why This Matters
Every item listed above directly improves:
Ranger survivability
Early detection of poaching activity
Rapid response to snared wildlife
Deterrence through preparedness
This is not about awareness.
It is about capability.
Prepared Rangers save lives — human and animal alike.
P.I.G. Team is a 501(c)3 nonprofit (IRS DLN: 26053492010384). Within the limits of law, your gift is 100% tax-deductible. For tax purposes, our EIN is 99-0648928
100% of all donations go to pay for equipment (Drones, Boots, weapons upgrades, etc), travel, meals, transportation & shipping, legal, or all the nuts and bolts to make our mission happen.
- No one is taking a salary.
- There is no “overhead” percentage. Scan the QR Code/Link below to be taken to our donation page.
