The FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide provides support to a Lead Trails Guide while conducting a guided nature experience on foot to view potentially dangerous animals. The Apprentice Trails Guide can in conjunction with the Lead Trails Guide design and conduct a safe guided experience on foot to view potentially dangerous animals based on local natural resources. An Apprentice Trails Guide will be able to react in the required manner to an unforeseen charge by a potentially dangerous animal, or similar event, with efficiency and maximum safety for the guests, themselves and the animal.

Please Note: The Apprentice Trails Guide Certificate is a stepping stone in the process for guides

to attain a FGASA Lead Trails Guide Qualification. A guide must firstly attain the FGASA Apprentice

Trails Guide Certificate and log the required amount of experience in order to be eligible to be

practically assessed for the FGASA Lead Trails Guide Qualification. (Refer to the FGASA Trails Guide

Qualification brochure for more information on the Trails Guide Qualification)

The FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide Certificate consists of the following:

Compulsory components

• Conduct a guided experience to view potentially dangerous animals (VPDA)

• The following PFTC unit standards (Professional Firearms Trainers Council):

▪ Unit Standard 117705: Demonstrate knowledge of the Firearms Control Act 2000 (Act No 60 of 2000) applicable to possessing a rifle

▪ Unit Standard 119651: Handle and Use a manually operated Rifle or Carbine

▪ Unit Standard 123519: Handle and use a manually operated Rifle or Carbine for Business Purposes

• The FGASA Advanced Rifle Handling (ARH)

(Refer to the FGASA ARH Brochure for more information)

FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

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FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

At this level the Apprentice Trails Guide:

• Is operating as an Apprentice Trails Guide with a Lead Trails Guide on foot in dangerous

game areas

• Has previously attained either the FGASA Field Guide (NQF2), Advanced Field Guide

(NQF4), or the FGASA Specialist Field Guide qualification

• Has logged the minimum required active guiding experience on foot in dangerous game

areas in the role as an Apprentice guide for the Apprentice Trails Guide certificate

(Minimum of 50 hours and 10 encounters)

• Has the basic knowledge considered essential to register and legally conduct a guided

nature experience on foot in dangerous game areas as a FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide

• Has been declared competent against the requirements of the FGASA Apprentice Trails

Guide theoretical and practical assessments

• Has a valid, up-to-date recognised First Aid certificate

• Has the required PFTC unit standards (If carrying a rifle for guiding)

• Has the required FGASA Advanced Rifle Handling (ARH) (if carrying a rifle while guiding in

dangerous game areas)

How do I get a FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide Certificate?

Once you have qualified either as a FGASA Field Guide (NQF2), Advanced Field Guide (NQF4), or

the FGASA Specialist Field Guide, you will be eligible to write the FGASA Trails Guide Theory

examination. Hours can be logged at any time, but the practical assessment can only take place

once you have been found competent for the trails guide theory exam (both VPDA and Rifle

Handling) and the ARH assessment.

Experience required to be eligible for the FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide practical assessment:

• At least 10 encounters and a minimum of 50 hours on foot accompanied by a FGASA

qualified Lead Trails Guide. (The Lead Guide may be working as a guide, trainer or assessor)

• The 10 encounters on foot for the Apprentice Trails Guide must be attained in an area

where at least 2 (two) of the Big 5 Dangerous animals roam freely.

• During any FGASA endorsed Trails Guide training course, all of the 10 encounters can be

logged as a mentored participant. Keep in mind that the guide at this stage of training

cannot lead a walk to view potentially dangerous animals but walks as an Apprentice

accompanied by a FGASA qualified Lead Trails Guide.

FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE

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FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

Logbooks

All dangerous animal encounters (Refer to the FGASA definition of an encounter) as an Apprentice

Trails Guide must be recorded in the FGASA Dangerous Game Logbook.

Dangerous Game Logbook Nature Guide logbook Your other guiding experience (non-dangerous game encounters) should be recorded in the Green

FGASA Nature Guide Logbook. If you are joining FGASA and you have already gained a certain

amount of dangerous animal guiding experience, you can backdate the Dangerous Game logbook

with this experience. This guiding experience must be verified and signed by your previous

employer(s). Reference letters may be sent with your logbook to the FGASA Johannesburg office.

(Refer to the explanation in the FGASA Dangerous Game Logbook as to what is required)

Dangerous game encounters

The logged approaches to view potentially dangerous animals must include at least two species of

the Big 5 and should include species from any of the following categories, preferably as many

categories as possible:

• Elephant bull

• Elephant breeding herd

• Buffalo bull

• Buffalo breeding herd

• Lion & leopard

• White & black rhino

• Hippopotamus

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FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

An encounter is one of the following:

• A deliberate walk to a dangerous animal or group of animals with the intention to view it on

foot without disturbing it in any way. Thus approach, view and withdraw without the animals

becoming aware of your presence, or show any sign that they are aware of any disturbance.

• A deliberate walk to a dangerous animal or group of animals with the intention to view it on

foot without disturbing it in any way, but due to guide or guest error, or changing

environmental factors the animal or animals do become aware of the approaching human/s.

• An unintentional contact during a walk. This will not necessarily be a good sighting, and might

last only a second or two.

• An explanation is given for a potential dangerous animal encounter based on an accurate

observation and thus a potentially dangerous encounter is avoided.

An example of this type of encounter is if a guide

comes across the tracks of a lioness with cubs, the

guide is able to point out and describe the tracks

and give an explanation for why they will not

follow these tracks, as it may lead to an extremely

dangerous encounter which may be negative for

the lions, the guide and the clients. This type of

encounter must be recorded in the logbook but

does not count towards the required encounters,

but adds to the experience.

The encounters on foot must be in the presence of a mentor Lead Trails Guide.

FGASA requirements for the recording of experience

The experience on foot required for the Apprentice Trails Guide (and Lead Trails Guide) cannot be

carried out by driving a vehicle to a potentially dangerous animal (Big 5 species) and then getting

out of the vehicle to approach this particular animal on foot.

The logged experience required must include walking without initially knowing the exact location

of a Big 5 dangerous animal, possibly tracking of the animal in question, approaching the animal

taking into consideration all the environmental and client factors with safety in mind at all times.

View the animal and move away leaving the animal as it was found. Obviously if circumstances

change and the animal becomes aware of the approaching humans then the required action

should be taken to ensure the safety of all.

The point being made here, is that the learner guide can log guiding experience on foot in

dangerous game areas (encounters – as per the FGASA definition of an encounter) carried out in

the same manner as the guided experience would be assessed, i.e. as per the previous paragraph

and cannot be done by driving up to the animal, getting out of the vehicle, approaching the animal

on foot and then recording this as walking experience.

This form of experience will not be accepted by FGASA for viewing potentially dangerous animals

on foot experience, as this is considered to be a vehicle approach.

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FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

The practical assessment for the Apprentice Trails Guide certificate is carried out by a registered FGASA assessor in an area of your choice with at least two species of free roaming Big 5 dangerous animals. You will need to take the assessor on a guided experience on foot to view potentially dangerous animals in the role of an Apprentice with or without clients but preferably with clients. The practical assessment will be explained to you in detail by your assessor in the pre-assessment brief. The assessor will make sure that you know what you will be assessed on so that you may prepare yourself for this assessment. (Refer to the FGASA Trails Guide Learner workbook for details.) Payment for your practical assessment is made directly to the assessor and does not come via the FGASA office. Once you have been declared competent for the FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide practical assessment you will have attained the FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide Certificate.

What learning materials do I need for the Apprentice Trails Guide Certificate?

The following learning materials are compulsory:

1. The Trails Guide Manual – Grant Hine

2. The Rifle Handling Manual – Grant Hine

3. The FGASA Trails Guide Learner study guide and workbooks

Recommended:

• DVD – Africa’s Dangerous Game on Foot

• DVD Set - Preparing yourself for stopping the charge

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FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

Recommended books to improve your own knowledge:

• Mammals of southern Africa and their Tracks and Signs – Lee Gutteridge & Louis Liebenberg

• Field Guide to the Tracks & Signs – Chris & Mathilde Stuart

• Beat about the Bush (Mammals) – Trevor Carnaby

• Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding Savanna – Veronica Roodt

• The behaviour guide to African Mammals – Richard Estes

This is assessed by means of:

• Logbook verification

• Workbook

• Theory examination

• Practical Assessment

The following aspects are included in the theory assessment of the Apprentice Trails Guide:

• Conducting a trails guiding experience

• Trails Guiding equipment

• Orientation

• Approaching animals on foot

• Dangerous animal knowledge

• Animal Diseases

• Incident and crime scene management

A note on getting experience as an Apprentice Trails Guide:

An Apprentice Trails Guide can operate as a normal vehicle guide for a lodge or company and work

as an Apprentice to a more experienced qualified Trails Guide for the duration of walks in an area

that has at least two of the Big 5 dangerous animal species.

The length of time required and experienced as an Apprentice Trails Guide to attain the Full Trails

Guide qualification is at least 200 hours including 60 encounters with a qualified FGASA lead guide.

(These hours include the initial 10 encounters and 50 hours gained for the Apprentice Trails Guide

certificate). This experience must be logged and verified in the Apprentice Trails Guide’s Dangerous

Game logbook (Provided by FGASA). Once the set required experience has been attained and

verified by FGASA then you will be eligible for the Trails Guide (lead) practical assessment.

CONDUCT A GUIDED EXPERIENCE TO VIEW POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ANIMALS

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FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

This will ensure that lodges and companies employing Apprentice Trails Guides know that these

guides need to work as Apprentices on walks until such time as they have attained the required

experience.

Only once the FGASA certificate for Trails Guide (Lead guide) has been issued will these lodges and

companies be able to employ (or promote) the guide as a Trails Guide (Lead) who is then fully

qualified to lead these experiences.

(Refer to the FGASA Lead Trails Guide Brochure for more information regarding how to get qualified

as a Lead Trails Guide)

IMPORTANT NOTICE ON ARH The attainment of a FGASA Apprentice and Trails Guide is directly linked to the attainment of the FGASA Advanced Rifle Handling (ARH). The ARH expires every three years and thus due to the link, so does the FGASA Apprentice and Trails Guide certificate expire. If you work in other African countries and do not carry a rifle for guiding purposes you will be awarded the VPDA Certificate (which does not expire). All FGASA Apprentice, Trails Guide and Advanced Trails guide certificates will have an expiry date based on when the ARH is due for renewal. A new certificate will only be issued once the ARH competency is up to date through a renewal assessment.

________________________________________________ Before any ARH assessment can take place you must have first attained the following PFTC unit standards (Professional Firearms Trainers Council) from an accredited PFTC training provider:

o Demonstrate knowledge of the Firearms Control Act 2000 (Act No 60 of 2000) applicable to possessing a rifle(Code:117705)

o Handle and Use a manually operated Rifle or Carbine (Code:119651)

o Handle and use a manually operated Rifle or Carbine for Business Purposes (Code: 123519)

These PFTC unit standards do not expire

o

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FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE

THE FGASA APPRENTICE TRAILS GUIDE CERTIFICATE (& VPDA)

No

Yes

No

You will need to attain one of these qualifications to enroll for the FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide qualification.

Do you have any one of the following FGASA qualifications:

Field Guide (NQF2), Advanced Field Guide (NQF4), or the FGASA Specialist Field Guide qualification?

Have you passed the Trails Guide Theory examination by attaining 75%?

A FGASA Apprentice Trails guide Certificate will be awarded.

Yes

You will have to re-apply to write the FGASA Trails Guide Theory examination again.

You will be eligible to write the Trails Guide Theory examination either at a Training provider special sitting or at a FGASA National examination sitting.

Do you have at least 10 encounters (minimum 50 hours) on foot in an area where at least two of the Big 5 Dangerous animals exist “free ranging” as an Apprentice accompanied by a qualified Trails Guide.

Yes

No

You will have to get the required encounters on foot and log this in the FGASA DG logbook

You are eligible to be practically assessed for the FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide qualification

You will have to apply for and go through the Apprentice Trails Guide practical assessment again.

Have you been declared competent for the Apprentice Trails Guide practical assessment? No

Yes

No Have you been declared competent for the three required firearms PFTC unit standards?

You will have to attain the three relevant firearms PFTC unit standards through an accredited PFTC provider.

Yes

Yes

Have you completed the FGASA Trails guide Workbook? You will need to complete the Trails Guide workbook.

No

You need to be declared competent for the FGASA ARH assessment if you want to attain the FGASA Apprentice Trails Guide Certificate.

Have you been assessed by a FGASA ARH assessor and been declared competent for the FGASA Advanced rifle handling (ARH)

No

Yes

Yes

Yes You can now walk as an Apprentice Trails Guide to log experience for the Lead Trails Guide Certificate.