Celebrity Supporters Include British Adventurer Bear Grylls and The Last Kingdom’s Alexander Dreymon
Did you know that the top five threats to conservation over the next ten years include habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change? Wildlife rangers respond to these threats daily, and their roles are ever-changing.
On September 17, the 2022 Wildlife Ranger Challenge will spotlight the ever-diversifying role of rangers to demonstrate their broad roles as conservationists, teachers, community support workers, and leaders, contributing to protecting wildlife and supporting wildlife in their immediate communities, but to global UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Challenge aims to become a movement driving the recognition of rangering as a profession, build camaraderie amongst rangers and their colleagues across borders, and drive improvements for the welfare of rangers in the field across Africa. The Challenge, organized by Tusk, provides a platform for rangers to raise money to help thousands of their colleagues, culminating in a half marathon on Saturday, September 17. The funds will enable wildlife rangers to protect iconic African wildlife such as elephants, pangolins, rhinos, and lions.
The race will accompany a series of mental and physical challenges, with the public worldwide encouraged to participate alongside the rangers virtually. New this year is a mini challenge for ranger teams with canine units, in which dogs and handlers will demonstrate their tracking skills.
“Today, wildlife rangers face mounting pressures. Resources are incredibly stretched, with many working on the front line of Africa’s protected areas lacking the essential tools to carry out their work safely,” said British adventurer and Wildlife Ranger Challenge supporter Bear Grylls. “With rising poaching rates, the demands on rangers will only become greater. Taking part in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge is a fantastic way to show you’re for wildlife rangers and ensures these conservation heroes receive the recognition and vital funds they so critically need.”
In addition to Grylls, Alexander Dreymon, star of Netflix’s The Last Kingdom, is supporting the effort as he has since its inception in 2020. “Rangers are the front-line defenders of Africa’s wildlife,” Dreymon said. “But to protect species and ecosystems into the future, they must be so much more.” “For the third year, I am proud to support the Wildlife Ranger Challenge. A race to raise awareness of Africa’s wildlife’s threats and the vital role of rangers who stand between species and extinction.”
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The Three Main Components of the Wildlife Ranger Challenge:
- Virtual Race: A competition with teams of rangers from across Africa running in a 21km half-marathon on September 17th. The public is encouraged to run or walk 5,10, or 21K in solidarity by signing up at WildlifeRangerChallenge.org.
- Mental and Physical Challenges: Rangers test their physical and mental ability with a push-up and sit-up challenge, the canine challenge, and a wildlife knowledge ranger quiz. Challenges run through race day on September 17.
- Ranger Fund: The Scheinberg Relief Fund has generously committed $1M in matched funds to support the rangers. A global public fundraising and awareness campaign for the Wildlife Ranger Challenge seeks to raise a total of $3M for the Ranger Fund to support thousands of rangers in the field.
Funds raised will help support the men and women on the front line of Africa’s protected areas, enabling them to provide for their families and protect communities and wildlife in some of the continent’s most vulnerable areas. For more information or to donate to the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, visit wildliferangerchallenge.org. To engage in the social dialogue, tag #ForWildlifeRangers on Facebook and Twitter.
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