Rangers on the Frontlines of Conservation
- Date: July 31, 2012
As guardians of nature, rangers are the men and women on the frontlines of conservation. They are perhaps the most important protectors of the world’s natural and cultural treasures.
As ambassadors for wildlife, rangers work to ensure that communities around the world live in harmony with the tigers, rhinos and elephants in their backyards. They patrol some of the least hospitable parts of our planet on land and in water. Rangers are the first line of defense as the poaching crisis escalates and wildlife crime spreads its tentacles.
Often unarmed and ill-equipped, rangers still take on armed poachers. In December 2011, illegal loggers severely beat Mary Ashu and another female ranger in Cameroon. The two were stripped of their epaulettes and held for ransom. After being freed, Ashu lodged a complaint with the justice department but no concrete action has yet been taken against her suspected assailants.
The fight against poaching can sometimes be deadly for rangers as well. In 2012, the International Ranger Federation reported more than 60 rangers died in the line of duty. More than half of those deaths were homicides. WWF honors the fallen and salutes the dedication of those who continue to put nature first and themselves a distant second.
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Mary Ashu is a ranger at Cameroon’s Dja Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Her mantra, “stand by the law at all cost,” and unflinching firmness earned her the nickname Firebrand.
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Mba Ndong Marius, an Eco Guard from Oyem, holds seized ivory tusks. These tusks became part of a five-ton ivory burn by the government of Gabon, signaling that the illegal ivory trade and elephant poaching will not be tolerated in the country.
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A park guard identifies a mountain gorilla in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. The work is part of a population monitoring program. More than 140 rangers have died in the line of duty since 1996 protecting the park. A fund has been set up to help support their widows and children.
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Park rangers are the eyes and ears of protected areas. Since 1994, WWF’s Education for Nature program has supported training for thousands of park guards on important topics as species identification, patrolling, environmental education, first aid, monitoring and evaluation, and more.
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A Wakatobi National Park Ranger with Sugiyanta of WWF and Purwanto of The Nature Conservancy check out a green turtle carapace found in a fishing boat in Runduma Island, Indonesia.
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This native Ugdege antipoaching patrol member patrols the Bikin river basin forests that shelter tigers and Amur leopards in the Russian Far East.
Support and Training
At WWF, we know that training and education for local communities is critical for conservation. For nearly two decades, WWF’s Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN) has provided support and training to conservation leaders—including rangers—in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The program teaches the skills and knowledge required to address the conservation challenges participants will face at home. Since 1994, EFN has supported training for over three thousands park rangers from more than 20 countries.
How You Can Help
Thank a Ranger
Rangers work tirelessly under harsh conditions on the frontlines to protect and conserve wild tigers. Send a postcard to a ranger!
Take Action
Pledge not to buy tiger parts and products. If you stop buying products made from tigers and other endangered species, we can help ensure a future for them.
Make a Good Buy
Every year, millions of tourists in the Caribbean and Mexico buy wildlife curios as souvenirsoften without any inkling that they are supporting unsustainable and illegal wildlife. Learn how to spot a good buy.
