On April 9, suspected members of an armed militia gunned down five wildlife rangers and their driver in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was the worst attack in Virunga’s bloody history and the latest in a long line of tragic incidents in which rangers have lost their lives defending the planet’s natural heritage.
But it’s not just danger that rangers must contend with. Mongabay spoke with people who have worked with or alongside front-line ranger forces in Africa and Asia. They described challenging working conditions, community ostracization, isolation from family, poor equipment, and inadequate training for many rangers—all for low pay and little respect.
