Three out of five, or 60% of park rangers in Central America received threats because of the conservation work they do. Similarly, 77% of these officials reported that they have faced situations that risked their lives.
These are some of the conclusions of the Forest Ranger Perceptions Report: Central America, carried out by the Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Panthera, with the collaboration of the Costa Rica Wildlife Foundation.
The report is part of global research that seek to get insights on park ranger life.
While Central America is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world, it is vanishing at an accelerated rate as a result of increased habitat loss, poaching, and illegal trafficking within protected areas. Park rangers are in charge of protecting nature from these direct threats, but little is known about their well-being, concerns, job satisfaction, and working conditions,”
states the report.
According to the survey responses, the greatest risk to the integrity of the rangers were illegal hunters, who kill wild animals. More than half of the protectors said they had been threatened and more than a quarter were attacked by illegal hunters at some point.
Family relationships are also complicated for these officials. Half of the park rangers consulted see their family from five to 10 days a month. Three percent said they saw them less than five days in that period.
Little over half of these nature advocates said that working conditions have improved in the last three years. Nine percent said they got worse, and 36% said they are the same. Additionally, 70% of the workers reported they are not provided with the adequate equipment to guarantee their health and safety in the field.
Still, 77% said they would like their children to follow in their footsteps.