What do rangers feel? Perceptions from Asia, Africa and Latin America

Abstract

Rangers play an important role in the management and protection of biodiversity upon which human well-being depends for ecosystem services. While performing their duties in harsh field conditions, often with insufficient and inadequate equipment, rangers in many countries are under constant threat from encounters with wildlife and poachers. To better understand the rangers' perceptions of their working conditions, 1,742 rangers from 293 conservation sites representing 40 countries across the regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America were surveyed. Although results differed between regions, overall results showed that four out of five rangers have faced a lifethreatening situation, more than a quarter saw their family for less than 5 days in a month and a large proportion do not feel adequately equipped or trained to fulfil their job requirements. Being close to nature was indicated as the key motivation for rangers, while low and/or irregular salary and dangerous working conditions were identified as the worst aspects of being a ranger. This survey is the first large-scale snapshot of ranger perceptions and will be followed by further detailed surveys and analysis.