World Ranger Day 2022: 31st of July is observed as World Ranger Day. The International Ranger Federation established this annual holiday to honour park the contribution of Park Rangers to the preservation of nature and to remember the rangers who lost their lives or suffered injuries while performing their duties.
Who Are The Rangers:
A ranger is a person, who is tasked with maintaining and guarding parks and other naturally protected places.
Rangers typically collaborate with staff personnel and other volunteers to maintain footpaths, bridges, stiles, and gates. They spend most of their time outside and serve as the national park authority's eyes and ears. They serve as a point of contact for locals and tourists as well as the national park authorities.
In addition to helping the public with questions about the park, they are responsible for keeping an eye out for any possible issues. However, because they are working with live animals, this may be extremely dangerous.
According to statistics, park rangers are in greater danger than ever. Park ranger assaults are at an all-time high. In actuality, border patrol personnel and FBI agents are less likely to be attacked than park rangers!
History Of World Ranger Day:
The International Ranger Federation was founded in 1992.
The SCRA (Scottish Countryside Rangers Association), the CMA (Countryside Management Association), and the ANPR (U.S. Association of National Park Rangers), which represents rangers in Wales and England, came together and established it.
The purpose of this agreement was to increase public support for and understanding of the vital job that rangers perform all around the world to preserve our cultural and natural heritage.
The first World Ranger Day took place in 2007 representing the 15th anniversary of when the IRF was founded.
Story Of Francis Kobia — A Ranger
Francis Kobia has been actively volunteering his time and assistance to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy for the past 20 years. He has seen both the highs and lows of ranger service.
One such high was the momentous occasion of the elephant underpass' building. The elephant underpass connecting the conservancy to Mount Kenya was constructed in 2011 by LWC and other regional partners.
Francis remembers how he and his colleagues plotted the elephants' path through the underpass to Mount Kenya using the excrement of elephants.
He recalls Tony, the elephant who guided the other elephants through the underpass, with affection. Francis experienced a period of considerable career pride during this time.
This initiative was so effective that LWC is now recognized as a thought leader in Kenya and the rest of the region in the field of conservation.
To exchange best practices for efficient management of conservation and security on a local level, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy works closely with Kenya Wildlife Service and other sister conservancies.