Park ranger Ismael Galvez in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Mexico for World Ranger Day

© Chico Sanchez/Aurora Photos

Park ranger Ismael Galvez in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in Mexico for World Ranger Day

The wildlife ranger in today’s homepage image is conducting a bird census in the rainforests of a rare ecosystem in Chiapas, a state in southern Mexico. Modern-day park rangers perform a variety of tasks in their jobs, and it can be dangerous work. A ranger in the savannahs of Africa may track and apprehend poachers, while rangers in North America might brave harsh conditions to collect valuable data about the health of our forests, waters, and the critters that inhabit those places. So today, World Ranger Day, we honour the rangers who have died or were injured in the line of duty. The important work they do helps us better understand and appreciate the wild world around us.