Kigali, Rwanda, 20 July 2022 (IUCN).- Winners of the second International Ranger Awards, presented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), were announced today in a ceremony at the IUCN African Protected Areas Congress in Kigali, Rwanda. In total, seven individual rangers and three ranger teams from ten countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Australasia were recognized for going beyond the call of duty to protect the earth’s wild places and wildlife, and to support local communities. Two winners received special awards for rangers working in areas where tigers are present.

Among the winners is the South American region representative, Jorge Banegas Franco of the Pantanal de Otuquis National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area from Bolivia. During his career, Jorge Banegas Franco has acquired and passed on practical expertise across a wide range of ranger operations, including protection, firefighting, ecosystem and wildlife monitoring and visitor management.

As a member of an Indigenous community, Jorge Banegas has prioritised integration of the culture, needs and wishes of local and Indigenous communities with the management of the protected areas where he works. As a ranger leader he has demonstrated skill, commitment and innovative thinking in problem-solving, planning ranger operations and supporting ranger teams operating in remote and challenging areas

The International Ranger Awards were established with the support of the International Ranger Federation, Conservation Allies, Re:wild and the Global Tiger Initiative.

“The world’s rangers are the unsung heroes and heroines of conservation.” said Dr Madhu Rao, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. “We rely on their perseverance and dedication to maintain a healthy planet for wildlife and for people. The work of these women and men work is skilled and diverse: they are protectors, educators, community facilitators and wildlife monitors, working in protected areas, private reserves, Indigenous territories and community conservancies. WCPA is delighted to be a partner recognising these new awards which recognise their vital work.”

“Alongside their extraordinary stories of courage and commitment, what is remarkable about this year’s winners is their diversity,” said Chris Galliers, President of the International Ranger Federation. “They include women, men and young people and a very high proportion of them are members of the local communities where they work. This diversity is what the International Ranger Federation is striving for in the sector, as it is the key to tackling the complex challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.”

The winners of the 2022 IUCN-WCPA International Ranger Awards are:

• Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve Ranger Team (Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve, India).
• Masungi-Bayog Ranger Team (Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, Philippines).
• Tiger Protection & Conservation Unit (Kerinci Seblat National Park, Indonesia).
• Jorge Banegas Franco (Parque Nacional y Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Pantanal de Otuquis, Bolivia).
• Hector Luis Espinoza Acevedo (Paso del Istmo Wildlife Corridor, La Flor Wildlife Refuge, Nicaragua).
• Felipe Otoniel León Angel (Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, Mexico)
• Ben ‘Yuddiy’ Brown (Pila Nature Reserve, Australia).
• Anti-Poaching Tracking Specialists K9 Unit (Savé Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe).
• Ali Hassan Ali (Bura East Community Conservancy, Kenya).
• Yyondji Community Eco-guards (Yyondji Community Bonobo Reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo).
• Popote Ole Sapulai (Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya).
• Nyaradzo Auxillia Hoto (Wildlife Management Areas of the Lower Zambezi, Zimbabwe).

A further nine rangers and teams have been recognized with special commendations.

Each winner or winning team receives US$10,000 to support the protected and conserved areas where they work, and a custom uniform patch to signify their achievement.

About IUCN IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organisations and the input of more than 15,000 experts. This diversity and vast expertise makes IUCN the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. Learn more at: https://www.iucn.org/

About the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) WCPA is one of IUCN’s seven Commissions. It is a premier network of 2500 experts from 140 countries that mobilizes action in science, conservation, policy, and engagement to support well managed and connected parks and other protected areas. Learn more at: https://www.iucn.org/commissions/world-commission-protected-areas

About Re:wild Re:wild is a force multiplier that brings together Indigenous peoples, local communities, influential leaders, nongovernmental organizations, governments, companies and the public to protect and rewild at the scale and speed we need. Our vital work has protected and conserved more than 180 million acres benefitting more than 16,000 species in the world’s most irreplaceable places for biodiversity. https://www.rewild.org/

About International Ranger Federation The International Ranger Federation (IRF) is a volunteer-based non-profit organisation, established to promote the vital role Rangers play in the conservation of the world’s natural and cultural treasures. Learn more at: https://www.internationalrangers.org/

About Conservation Allies Conservation Allies identifies the most dedicated and efficient local non-profits with a proven track record of major impact on biodiversity conservation around the world. They then partner with those entities to provide technical assistance and help them raise funds to support their work. Learn more at: https://conservationallies.org/

Contacts: Rehema Kahurananga, IUCN Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa, Rehema.kahurananga@iucn.org, Matthias Fiechter, IUCN Global Communications, Matthias.fiechter@iucn.org.