The Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) continues to strengthen its operations by refining surveillance and tracking techniques, expanding training and capacity-building programs, enhancing collaboration with security and judicial authorities, and conducting high-standard patrols. Through these efforts, the APU aims to broaden its reach and achieve significant milestones in wildlife protection.
Advanced Training: From Sustainable Hunters to Environmental Investigators
As part of its ongoing development, the unit has launched an advanced field investigation training program, equipping sustainable hunters with the skills to become environmental investigators. Trainees learn to collect and analyze field evidence such as spent cartridges, bird feathers, carcasses of hunted birds, and human activity markers. This method allows for the classification of hunting zones based on their threat levels to bird populations, enabling more effective field decision-making.
The program also includes forensic wildlife training, focusing on identifying causes of bird mortality, whether due to poaching, electrocution, poisoning, or predation. This shift in training marks a significant transformation—hunters are no longer just observers of violations, but trained environmental investigators providing scientific analysis to guide future conservation strategies.
This methodological evolution cements the APU’s role as a leader in anti-poaching efforts, integrating field operations with scientific research, thereby laying the groundwork for sustainable and effective environmental policies.
Funding the Anti-Poaching Unit
The APU’s operations are funded through a combination of grants, private donations, and partnerships with international conservation organizations. These funds also help procure specialized equipment, surveillance technology, and legal support to aid in combating poaching effectively. Additionally, corporate sponsorships and crowdfunding campaigns play a crucial role in sustaining the unit’s mission.
We are supported by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation and the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) in coordination with the Internal Security Forces, the Information Branch, and Army Intelligence. The activities of the APU contribute to the BioConnect project, a 45-month initiative running until October 2025. This project focuses on enhancing the management and governance of ecologically significant sites, establishing new Protected Areas and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and promoting broader landscape conservation in Lebanon. The BioConnect initiative also aims to improve ecosystem health, provide socio-economic benefits, and support local communities by addressing key pressures on biodiversity.
Volunteering with the Anti-Poaching Unit (APU)
🔹 Direct Action for Migratory Bird Protection
For volunteers, this means immersing themselves in Lebanon’s natural landscapes, participating in bird protection camps and anti-poaching missions in illegal hunting hotspots. Volunteers help locate and dismantle traps and nets, support authorities in law enforcement, and safeguard migratory birds from poaching threats.
🚨 Challenges & Requirements
Participating in APU missions requires specialized skills. Volunteers must possess knowledge of ornithology, environmental law, and evidence collection. Engaging with armed poachers and law enforcement officers demands tact, discipline, and resilience. Therefore, only experienced nature and animal advocates familiar to the APU team can join key operations.
Essential Requirements for Volunteers
🔹 Physical Fitness
APU teams work in rugged mountain terrain, covering up to 30 km daily with an 800 m altitude difference. Volunteers must be physically fit, have a strong sense of direction, and be comfortable navigating difficult landscapes. Workdays may start as early as 5 AM and extend until 10 PM, with occasional night operations. High knee strain is a common challenge.
🔹 Age Limitations
All volunteers must be of legal age. While students and retirees are welcome, experience has shown that individuals above 55 years may struggle to meet the physical demands of fieldwork.
🔹 Relevant Experience
Fighting poaching requires field expertise and strategic thinking. While APU provides training on identifying traps and confronting poachers, ideal candidates should already have years of experience in wildlife conservation, law enforcement interactions, and species protection.
🔹 Additional Skills & Qualifications
✔ Teamwork & Tolerance – We welcome diverse backgrounds, from animal rights activists and conservationists to eco-hunters. However, extreme ideologies are not compatible with our mission.
✔ Bird Identification – Volunteers should have basic ornithology knowledge and be able to identify common European bird species.
✔ Collaboration with Authorities – The Internal Security Forces and Lebanese Army receive volunteer lists for security reasons.
✔ Travel Resilience – Volunteers must handle long drives on winding roads without motion sickness.
✔ Courage & Composure – Poachers can react aggressively. While serious incidents are rare, volunteers should remain calm under pressure. This is not a place for reckless behavior or confrontational tactics.
Volunteer Application for 2025 / 2026
If you meet the above requirements and wish to contribute to our conservation efforts, apply here:
Join us in the fight to protect migratory birds and ensure a poaching-free future! 🦅🌍
