Notable variations between a tour guide and tour ranger in Tanzania

If you are not careful enough, it is very easy to interchange those two terms: tour guide and tour ranger. In fact, I have seen and heard several people in confusion because they found themselves talking one term yet they were referring to another. There is a great noticeable difference between a tour guide and a tour ranger and I’m going to highlight those differences:

Tour rangers have guns to protect tourists and wildlife.

The tour ranger protects people and wildlife in a park. Wildlife needs to be protected in a national park because of poaching activities-poachers normally enter the park and kill those innocent which pose a threat to the endangered species and also to the lives of other wildlife.

Poachers are always very hash to the animals and their main purpose of killing is normally related to the economic aspect. Recently, the killing of Elephants has been on the rise due to their ivory which costs millions of shillings. Lucky enough, there are rare cases like those in Tanzania, due to the several sensitization programs around the parks. When a tourist reaches a park, it is always advisable to hire the park ranger to protect him.

For the case of tour guides, their role is about driving the tourists to the tourist’s attraction and showing them around depending on the nature of the tour.

The government of Tanzania pays for the tour rangers’ salary

Every tour ranger is employed by the government in Tanzania while a tour guide is normally employed by tour operator companies. Depending on the employment agreement, most tour guides are paid monthly or as per tour while the tour rangers is always paid monthly.

The tour rangers work in national parks.

Tour rangers only offer their services in a national park and are always in that national park unless they are shifted to another. For the case of the tour guide, their services are provided depending on any national park being visited. They are not limited to one park

It is in the best interest of the tour ranger to protect animals against poaching

Like I said that the work of tour guide is to protect the tourists and wildlife-they do that with the help of a gun. If an animal attacks a human, they can shoot to kill and in case they see someone who they think is a poacher, that poacher is arrested.

Some poachers are well prepared and they know the challenges ahead. Some of them can have illegal guns which they use for poaching. In brief, tour rangers are army or police officials who protect the animals and wildlife while tour guides are drivers who take tourists from one location to another. Come and we take you to the best and hidden secrets of Tanzania by booking your safari with us today.