World Ranger Day 2025 – Powering Transformative Conservation
This World Ranger Day, we pause to honour the 175 rangers, across 41 countries, who lost their lives in the past year while serving on the frontlines of conservation.
The risks rangers face remain deeply sobering. Homicide was the leading cause of death (49), many killed while working in crisis zones or confronting poaching and armed militia. Others lost their lives to animal attacks (32), vehicle accidents (21), occupational incidents (36), or illness while on duty (37).
Behind each number is a person — a protector of nature, a community member, a loved one.
The theme for 2025, “Rangers, Powering Transformative Conservation,” reminds us that rangers are not only protectors, but changemakers. They are essential to achieving the world’s biggest conservation goals — from the Sustainable Development Goals to Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework: protecting 30% of the planet by 2030.
Our incredible project partners across the world are prime examples of rangers driving lasting change:
In Australia, Indigenous Desert Alliance supports First Nations rangers to care for Country in ways that strengthen both culture and community.
In Zambia, Game Rangers International is educating local communities and shifting behaviours that support coexistence with wildlife.
In Amapá, Brazil, rangers are initiating their own training programs — preparing for modern challenges with modern tools.
At the Sumatran Ranger Project, Indonesia, rangers are halting human-wildlife conflict by developing predator-proof corrals, protecting both livestock and endangered species.
Quiet, compassionate change is also made possible by the Fallen Ranger Fund, helping families receive dignified support during crisis.
And loud, lasting impact is delivered through LEAD Ranger, where rangers gain critical skills and return as instructors, building strength from within.
Our team will be marking World Ranger Day from across the globe. Some will summit Kilimanjaro with Thin Green Line supporters, concluding their journey with a visit to rangers in Kenya. Others will be in Sydney for the premiere of Guardians of Hope — a documentary which follows Amanda Dudgeon’s Walking the Thin Green Line expedition across Oceania, and shines a light on the resilience, humour, and hope of rangers across the region.
No matter where our team are on this day, we will honour the fallen, celebrate the living, and stand in solidarity with rangers powering a better future for people and planet.
We hope you will join us.
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