world ranger day: a big thank you to wildlife rangers and our generous supporters

While the world is slowly adapting to a different way forward, we want to take a moment to recognize World Ranger Day and send a heartfelt thank you to the many rangers across the world who remain on the frontlines. Away from their families for weeks and months at a time, these rangers have given everything to protect wildlife and support communities.  

We also want to thank our many donors and supporters for their willingness to act, share our stories, and donate in these uncertain times – thank YOU for your continued commitment to save animals. 

The willingness of humanity to come together and support one another has had tremendous impact in the conservation space. When facilities closed down and countries went into lockdown, tourism and local revenue plummeted. As a result, numerous national parks across Africa saw a rise in poaching events – yet the dedication and determination of wildlife rangers shined through. Despite these challenging times, rangers continued their work as the first line of defense for animals. They expanded their patrols and covered more kilometers every day to keep an eye out for poaching incidents, human-wildlife conflict, and animals in distress.  

Unfortunately, the huge downfall in tourism revenue also meant that government agencies had to cut spending for ranger resources and salaries. Wildlife rangers – our heroes on the frontlines – were in desperate need of support. We knew we could count on our supporters to help us make a difference for rangers.  

Thanks to generous donations from people like you, IFAW was able to provide additional resources and COVID-19 gear to rangers in need.  

• In Kenya, all the community rangers in the Amboseli, Tsavo, and Kilimanjaro areas were provided with face masks and hand sanitizer for patrolling. The community ranger outposts were also supplied with additional water and soap.  
• In Malawi and Zambia, we distributed masks, hand sanitizers, clinic furniture, buckets, soap, and information packs to local communities (valued at approximately US $7,000). Our COVID-19 mitigation efforts also included providing community extension workers with new bicycles so they could reach more villages and settlements faster.  
• In India, masks and sanitizer sets were shared with the Forest Department for frontline staff, in addition to tents, field shoes, cameras, and solar rechargeable lights for the field camps. 
• In Morocco, a scouts team of 10 patrols Ifrane National Park on foot and by car. During the pandemic, the scouts were provided additional protective gear such as masks, gloves, and sanitizers. 

At this point in time, it is uncertain when many of the rangers will be able to return home to see their families. In some areas, rangers haven’t seen their families in months, while others are able to split shifts and family time. We sincerely hope that all the amazingly brave men and women of the ranger force get to go home soon, to hug their little ones and tell them stories about how they played an important role protecting wildlife during a time when the whole world was at an abrupt standstill.