What are wildlife rangers

Read on to learn more about what their job entails, the dangers they face, and how IFAW works to help them.

During their long, grueling hours, wildlife rangers tackle a wide range of duties. Much of their work occurs on patrol around the area they protect. Starting in the early morning when animals are most active, these patrols may be about two to three hours, covering a smaller area, in places where there are more rangers and ranger stations-these short patrols might be done once or twice a day.

Some patrols last longer-a week or more-in areas that have fewer rangers and more space between ranger stations. This is often the case in larger parks. On these long-range patrols, rangers are out walking for the entire day and camp out at night. Rangers take turns at night staying awake to keep watch.

During patrols, rangers keep an eye out for criminal activity like poaching and illegal logging. They look for snares and traps set to catch animals and remove them-a time-consuming task. Part of the danger of their job lies in how they may come directly into contact with poaching groups and the risk of the conflict escalating.

In addition to fighting wildlife crime, rangers look for and record signs of wildlife like paw prints and fecal matter. They use cameras and GPS recording equipment to collect data on populations and their movements. A new technology utilised by many rangers is called the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART). This tool contains software designed specifically for wildlife conservation, and it's available on smartphones, which makes it easy for rangers to use while on patrol. This kind of technology is often only available to the most well-supported rangers, however. In many national parks and protected areas, rangers are not equipped with even basic kits due to a lack of funding.

Rangers also engage with local communities living in and around the protected areas. Not only is this important for preventing and responding to incidents of human-wildlife conflict, but it also provides them with another source of intelligence on wildlife crime, as community members may have directly witnessed criminal activity. Rangers are in direct communication with local communities and respond quickly to reports of wildlife crime and human-wildlife conflict.

Engaging communities in conservation also helps raise awareness about endangered species and the threats they face. It can help prevent poaching in the future by educating the youth about why it's illegal and why protecting biodiversity is important.

In addition to all this work, rangers spend much of their time in dry seasons fighting fires. While some natural fires are important for the health of ecosystems, in the age of climate change, fires in some areas are increasingly severe and unpredictable. Some natural and manmade fires can be very harmful to the landscape and animals.

As wildlife tourism is a driving force in the economy of many places where rangers work, they also often assist with tourism.

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