Celebrate World Ranger Day
They serve under various titles—rangers, forest guards, eco guard and field enforcement officers—but these men and women on the front lines of conservation are perhaps the most important protectors of the world’s natural and cultural treasures. Rangers work tirelessly to protect some of the world’s most endangered species like tigers, elephants and rhinos—animals that are also among the most widely targeted by poachers for the illegal wildlife trade. According to the Thin Green Line Foundation, 1,000 rangers were killed in the line of duty in the last 10 years. That’s close to 2 rangers a week, every week for the last decade. Governments often lack resources to equip and train rangers. Rangers typically earn very little and some go months without receiving their salary or seeing their families. Rangers on the ground must be better equipped. But they also need support beyond backpacks and boots. Rangers must be respected and supported by their governments and national laws again...