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A study connected 25 years of enactment for wildlife warriors by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has highlighted the relation of India’s wood protectors.
The report, Guardians of the Wild: Supporting India’s Frontline Forest Staff, features 540 rangers who were killed oregon injured successful the enactment of duty. It includes idiosyncratic narratives from the field.
A WTI spokesperson said the study was released by Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, successful Abu Dhabi connected Saturday (October 11, 2025). It was released on with WTI’s Executive Director and IUCN Councillor Vivek Menon, IFAW President and CEO Azzedine Downes, IUCN-WPCA Chair Madhu Rao, and Abu Dhabi Environment Agency’s Secretary General Shaikha Salem al Dhaheri.
IUCN, IFAW, and WPCA grow to International Union for Conservation of Nature, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and World Commission connected Protected Areas, respectively.
The report, released during the IUCN-WCPA International Ranger Award Ceremony astatine the IUCN World Conservation Congress successful Abu Dhabi, spotlights the captious relation and immense challenges faced by India’s frontline wood staff, the “unsung heroes” safeguarding the affluent biodiversity successful the country.
India’s Van Rakshaks, known globally arsenic wood rangers, are liable for protecting much than 1,100 protected areas and galore different forests and earthy habitats. Their duties see round-the-clock patrolling, wildlife monitoring, mitigating human-wildlife conflict, combating wildlife crime, and responding to emergencies, often nether life-threatening conditions.
The WTI launched the Van Rakshak Project (VRP) successful 2000 with the IFAW’s support. It aimed astatine gathering a strong, well-equipped, and motivated unit of frontline wood unit crossed India. The task has supported much than 21,000 unit nationwide done a divers scope of capacity-strengthening initiatives.
These see grooming workshops focused connected wildlife transgression prevention, human-wildlife struggle mitigation, and basal wildlife rescue techniques. It besides involves the proviso of indispensable tract gear, important for patrolling and safety.
A cardinal constituent of the VRP is the Supplementary Accident Assurance Scheme, which offers contiguous fiscal assistance to frontline wood staff, including impermanent and regular wage workers, successful the lawsuit of wounded oregon decease successful the enactment of duty.
Since 2001, fiscal assistance has been provided to 367 frontline unit oregon their families, with astir 74% of these cases involving fatalities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WTI extended enactment to 173 families of wood unit who mislaid their lives done a dedicated Conservation Heroes COVID Casualty Fund.
“The important risks faced by India’s frontline wood unit underscore the value of ensuring their well-being. The study reflects the WTI’s committedness to protecting the interests of the frontline unit and confirms that wildlife conservation is astir effectual erstwhile carried retired from the crushed up,” Mr. Singh said.
“This study honours the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of India’s Van Rakshaks and highlights the urgent request for much investment, recognition, and enactment for those who support our earthy heritage,” Mr. Menon said.
“Frontline wood unit are the backbone of conservation, often risking their lives to support wildlife and their habitats. For implicit 2 decades, IFAW has stood successful solidarity with these brave individuals crossed India—supporting them, learning from them, and bearing witnesser to their bonzer courage,” Mr. Downes said.
