While on this trip, I was stunned and inspired by the story of Sean Willmore, an Australian Park Ranger, who mortgaged his house 3 times in pursuit of creating a documentary about his passion.As a Park Ranger in countries like Australia and all over Africa, you are often subject to attacks from animals or poachers, since the wildlife you protect is either large and terrifyingly violent, or highly sought after for tusks or skin.
Sean had the idea to travel all over the world and film the work of this often dangerous profession, after meeting many of his colleagues at an International Park Rangers' Congress in 2003. He sold his car and put hgis house up as collateral to caoture what he felt was a fascinating subject.
In the process, he has travelled to 23 countries and captured footage of rangers being bulldozed by wild animals and threatened with guns by smugglers. In the Congo, one ranger was tortured, shot and murdered by poachers.
On his website, he lists the names of 11 rangers killed in Uganda in the last years. Thanks to his efforts, the government has given support to the widows, a one-year salary payment to help them through - it's just 1,000 dollars each.
Sean managed to keep the finances managed and finished his amazing documentary, The Thin Green Line, thanks to an amazing determination. He is restricted from travel for the coming months because he contracted Dengue Fever (transmitted by vicious mosquitos), so he continues to work on fund-raising for the widows of other fallen rangers around the world.
In the interview, he came across as an incredibly nice, ordinary person who had a vision sparked by seeing beyond the bounds of his own life. Eternal Respect to a man who truly followed his dreams and what he believes in.
Please do visit his website to find out more. http://www.thethingreenline.info/
