World Ranger Day: 31 July 2019

World Ranger Day is celebrated worldwide annually on 31 July. World Ranger Day is organized by the International Ranger Federation and was first held in 2007.

Park and wildlife rangers work to protect animals and nature. World Ranger Day offers a chance to support their work, which ranges from environmental campaigning to education. The day is also an opportunity to pay tribute to rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

It is estimated that there are more than 100,000 reserves, parks and protected areas around the world, with the oldest national park being Yellowstone in America.

The key purpose of World Ranger Day is to develop a strong community amongst rangers, and to promote community awareness of the contributions and sacrifice made by park rangers to protect the natural heritage.

Today at the Paris Zoo, rangers were ensuring that the three Aldabra Giant Tortoises were healthy, giving them one of their regular check-ups. There were four Giant Tortoises but Kiki, who arrived at the Paris Zoo in 1923 at the age of 60, died on 30 November 2009 at the age of 146.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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