Category: Protect wildlife: Rangers and Wildlife Guardians

1. It’s World Ranger Day on 31 July.

   Posted on 1:00pm Tuesday 26th Jul 2022

   World Ranger Day is on 31st July  Around the world there are many people who are willing to put their lives on the line in order to protect endangered animals. Sadly, estimates suggest that over 1,000 rangers have been killed in the line of duty over the past 10 years.  The International Ranger Foundation is the official body representing rangers around the world, and has a Roll of Honour page which makes for very moving reading. There is a lot of information about rangers on their website, so please explore their website.   It works with The Thin Green to promote the initiative of World Ranger Day.  World Ranger Day is a chance for all of us to show our appreciation for the work that wildlife rangers and guardians do and offer our support in whatever way we can and to remember those who have died or been injured doing this vital work and to think of the families they leave behind.  The Thin Green Line says that about 150 Rangers die each year protecting wildlife and habitat. Often their families are left behind without any support.  Donations and support give a gift of hope and an urgent lifeline to families left behind.     And it’s good to know that there is something you can do to help wildlife and locals in their communities at the same time, and we thought we’d do a roundup of charities and organisations working to help in this way.  Sometimes wildlife rangers are called wildlife guardians.   I stand with the world's rangers.. Please give rangers your support on World Ranger Day Above graphic ©International Ranger Foundation Support World Ranger Day 2022 on social media with hashtags: #WorldRangerDay2022 #WorldRangerDay #WildlifeRangers #RangersDeserveMore #URSA4Rangers #Istandwithrangers  The Thin Green Line Foundation Based in Australia, the Foundation works with ranger groups, ranger associations and conservation partners in over 60 countries.  They say it’s estimated that over 1,000 park rangers have been killed n the line of duty over the past 10 years. They are dedicated to providing Rangers worldwide with the assistance they deserve and need.   Other organisations supporting wildlife rangers Ol Pejeta Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 90,000 acre wildlife conservancy in Kenya.  They have 150 rangers who are dedicated to protecting the wildlife there and neighbouring communities.  They a lso have a K9 unit, whose dogs work hard also to protect wildlife.    Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy here Project Ranger Project Ranger supports a range of patrols such as horse patrols, foot patrols, motorbike, aerial, truck and K9 patrols.  In doing so it protects a number of species in national parks, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, conserved land and wildnerness areas.  There are plenty of ways to support their work so visit their website to find out more! The World Land Trust The World Land Trust has a Keepers of the Wild initiative.  The rangers are working on the front line of conservation, safeguarding some of the world’s most threatened animals and the crucial habitats in which they live.  They protect reserves from poaching and logging, and importantly, link to local communities, building trust, helping to change attitudes and find practical solutions to problems.  You can support Keepers of the Wild by making a donation. David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation works to support rangers in both Asia and Africa. You can support wildlife rangers here and help them conserve nature.  Their work includes carrying out anti-poaching and anti-trafficking patrols across national parks, finding and removing wildlife snares and collecting essential data on endangered speices and their habitats.   They also work with communities to raise awareness and mitigate wildlife conflict. The Global Conservation Force This organisation works to save wildlife from extinction through education, anti-poaching and conservation efforts.  It does this by using anti-poaching units, awareness and education and on the ground action, working on wildlife’s problems.  You can adopt a ranger (also there’s a K9 poacher tracking unit) – find out what the options are to adopt a ranger here. African Parks African Parks has an anti-poaching team of 1,000 rangers making up their law enforcement team.  Thei rangers are stabilising force both for parks and regions Virunga  Virunga National Park is located on the eastern edge of the Congo Basin in Africa, and it's home to over 1,000 species of mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian and a third of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. It has 750 male and female rangers, all working hard and putting their lives on the line to protect the park and local communities. There's a canine unit as well.  Find out more The Gorilla Organisation The Gorilla Organisation has a supporting rangers scheme in the Democratic Republic of Congo and they act as the eyes, ears and voice of the forest. They cut snaes, save injured gorillas, combat the militias running the blood minerals trade, monitor the gorillas’ health and collect vital conservation data every day.  Find out more here. Tigers4ever Tigers4ever have anti-poaching patrols in Bandharvagh, India, to protect tigers.  They equip forest patrols, provide anti-poaching patrols and provide permanent solutions to water scarcity for wildlife Help Tigers4Ever help tigers on their Global Giving pages Orangutan Foundation Become an Orangutan Guardian and help the Orangutan Foundation’s 60 Indonesian staff work on the frontline of conservation in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve.  Their role is to guard and patrol the forests and rivers, to rescue and monitor the orangutans and to replant and nurture tree saplings.  And crucially, they need to gain the trust and support of local communities.  Become an Orangutan Guardian! Lewa Wildlife Conservancy The Lewa Security Team consists of field rangers, radio operators, gatekeepers, baby rhino keepers, anti-poaching rangers and the tracker dog unit.   The Anti-Poaching Rangers and Tracker Dog Unit work day and night to protect wildlife and keep them safe, especially rhinos and elephants.  The tracker dog unit has four dogs and their handlers, the dogs act as efficient trackers, as they can pursue suspects for lengthy distances. Save the Rhino Save the Rhino makes sure that ranger teams have the the equipment they need to do their job as safely as possible.  It has expanded canine units across the projects it funds, which in turn helps apprehend criminals.  Find out more from Save the Rhino Polar Bears International Polar Bears International have an award to recognise the frontline heroes in the Arctic working o keep polar bears and people safe.  Find out more here Tusk The charity Tusk give a Wildlife Ranger Award every year to give international recognition to the men and women who face danger every day to protect the wildlife and its ecosystems in Africa.   There are also rangers in other countries such as Australia and America and the UK, working for organisations such as national parks and they are also essential to protecting the environment and keeping wildlife safe. And a very big thank you to each and every wildlife ranger working to care for and protect our wildlife and their habitats.  And thank you to their families too.   Please everyone show you support them too.

    

2. Please thank the wildlife rangers here

   Posted on 10:00am Thursday 29th Jul 2021

   Send a thank you note! Do you ever hear about the incredibly brave work wildlife rangers do on the front lines to protect the beautiful wildlife we all love to much? The job of a wildlife ranger is becoming increasingly dangerous – the African Wildlife Foundation says that they must be prepared to act in a number of roles: A solder A law enforcement officer A community liaison A naturalist A medic Even whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has been going on, they have been working to protect the species, landscapes and communities in Africa. Image copyright African Wildlife Foundation They undertake rigorous training and face difficult conditions as they work – and they are vital in investigating wildlife crimes.   Both poachers and the very wildlife rangers are trying to protect can be dangerous and deadly.   The hours are long and rangers may not see their families for a long time.  Communications can be very limited which means access to urgent help can be difficult or even impossible to come by. So the African Wildlife Foundation is giving us all a wonderful opportunity to thank these rangers – we can send them a note in time for World Ranger Day on 31 July! Please take a moment to thank wildlife rangers.   Say Thank You here

    

    

3. Amazing fundraiser at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation's Virtual Wildlife Ball

   Posted on 10:00am Saturday 14th Nov 2020

   Charities are having to move online for a lot of fundraising now, and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) is no exception. The Foundation fights wildlife crime, protects species and engages local communities in conservation in Africa and Asia.  It works with conservation partners and you can see a list of them here. They have just held a Virtual Wildlife Ball and wow, was it a success! Their aim was to raise £50,000 – but supporters really rallied, dug deep and showed their true support for the Foundation.  The event raised a staggering £80,000! People tuned in from all over the world and the event lasted an hour.  It raised nearly £50,000 before it even started! Elephants, tigers, rhinos, pangolins, chimpanzees, lions, painted dogs and snow leopards. Amongst the stars involved in the event, is an inspirational 9 year old raising money for pangolin, to a soprano and there’s also a visit to the Elephant Orphanage.   There’s nothing like going to bed knowing you have done something really good today and made a difference. The event was held to celebrate wildlife and to raise funds to support conservation across Africa and Asia.  The bit about with the elephant orphanage starts at 28 minutes if you're short of time. It's not enough to care - we need to ACT Climate change and the biodiversity crises has been forgotten in the times of the coronavirus and charities are suffering particularly badly.  The more we can all do to help, the better off our wildlife will be. The key things for us all to do are to spread the word that there are good things happening and that we can all make a difference to wildlife. We can turn this around if we all pull together and help nature. Visit the DSWF's website here Donate to the DSWF here You can also adopt an animal here as a gift and buy wildlife art as a gift here. And of course you can spread the word on social media!  @dswfwildlife on Twitter @DSWFWildlife on Facebook

    

    

4. Protecting marine sanctuaries on the island of Siquijor in the Philippines

   Posted on 5:00pm Saturday 3rd Oct 2020

   There are some amazing people doing great things for nature and conservation.   On the island of Siquijor in the central Philippines, Women have got together to protect marine sanctuaries from poachers and illegal fishers, even though they only have paddles and kayaks.   They are prepared to risk their lives to protect there are. The waters are full of rich coral reefs and fish diversity – but they are being impacted by both illegal fishing which has impacted on the coral reefs and reduced fish diversity and its abundance, and climate change. This video tells the story of the women.  One woman has been shot at – but she is determined and her efforts resulted in the arrest of the person shooting at her. Watch and be inspired… The video was supported with a grant from the Earth Journalism Network. Source:  Mongabay.com

    

5. Help the Lion Guards at the Namibia Lion Trust on #WorldLionDay

   Posted on 10:00am Sunday 9th Aug 2020

   Namibia Lion Trust is working to protect the large carnivores of Namibia. It believes in conservation through education, aiming to create a peaceful existence between wildlife (especially the large carnivores) and local communities    The Namibia Lion Trust has been through a bit of a journey itself.  It was launched in 2020, having been AfriCatNorth. AfriCat North was primarily the AfriCat Foundation field base for lion research, human-wildlife conflict mitigation and community support.  The Trust’s slogan is For Lions, For Life and For Our Future, and it’s dedicated to lions.  It’s Reg #T298/2019.    For Lions – For Life – For Our Future The Namibia Lion Trust has three programmes: Livestock Protection – creating “bomas”, i.e. enclosures to keep large predators out and livestock safe inside Early Warning and Rapid Response – Lion Guards elected by their own community to help mitigate the lion-human conflict.  They identify hot spots, support with the erectionof bomas, install LionLights, patrol to protect wildlife and encourage greater tolerance of conflict with wildlife.  They also share information about the whereabouts of wildlife with the research team conservancy committees and their communities. Fence Boundary Programme in a human-wildlife conflict hot-spot area.  It’s cattle proof but has fallen into disrepair – it was put up in the 1960s and needs to be reconstructed. Donate to the Lion Guard programme (that link will take you to Virgin Money Giving’s site) You or your company could also sponsor a community school, the Education Programme, a Livestock Protection Boma, Tracking Equipment, a research vehicle or essential salaries.