Associate Professor William Moreto studies conservation rangers around the world to shed light on the challenges they face (Photo by CCIE Communications)
Since 2015, the number of tigers roaming the jungles of Asia have nearly doubled, thanks in part to the tireless work of the conservation rangers who patrol the protected areas where they roam. Such work has inspired William Moreto, associate professor of criminal justice, to study rangers worldwide to better understand the challenges they face. As part of his research, he has conducted fieldwork in Kenya, Nepal, Uganda, and the Philippines, and has collected surveys from over 80 countries.
From attacks by wildlife and poachers to diseases and long hours, Moreto’s work sheds light on this challenging job and has even informed research initiatives by the World Wildlife Fund and the International Ranger Federation, such as the Life on the Frontline and State of the Ranger reports, respectively.
A primary issue in this field that Moreto has researched involves how the role of a ranger differs significantly from one region to another, and their responsibilities, resources and potential dangers vary. Some rangers are armed and have authority to enforce the law, while others have little to no power, relying on local police or military to handle enforcement. Moreto adds that safety is also a concern.
“Rangers often lack proper equipment, and provisions like food, water and medical care are frequently inadequate,” he says. “Other safety concerns rangers face include the environment itself, climate and wildlife. The animals don't know you're there to protect them."
In many countries, rangers face financial and staffing challenges or are insufficiently trained. Moreto’s studies have also found how a lack of resources can influence problematic ranger behavior, like corruption.
“When looking at conservation, you really have to consider the human factors,” he says. “We need to understand how certain factors like job stress, job satisfaction and safety impact enforcement.”
Over the years, he says, improvements have been made. In Nepal, the tiger and rhino populations have flourished thanks to strict zero-poaching policies. Following the country’s civil war, the decimation of protected lands led Nepal to implement a no-poaching mandate, with the military overseeing protected areas and rangers managing buffer zones between local communities and these territories.
“When I was there, the rangers were counting down the days until next year’s cycle began because zero rhinos had been poached,” Moreto says. “They were determined not to lose any.”
Balancing enforcement strategies along with establishing positive community relations can be challenging, yet such relationships need to be developed, Moreto affirms. Community involvement is crucial in local conservation efforts. Recent research has emphasized the benefits of having the elderly, women and children in local communities help teach others about conservation, thanks to their higher social influence in some cultures.
In India, a successful model for protecting tigers was through monetary compensation.
“If you lose livestock to a tiger, there is a compensation scheme to pay for lost wages, so local communities do not retaliate against the tigers,” Moreto says.
A similar method has been used to prevent poaching in other countries, such as offering former poachers incentives to quit. In Uganda, they are even attempting to turn former poachers into rangers, offering them a path out of the harmful and dangerous lifestyle.
While there is still much more to learn and progress to be made to keep rangers, communities and the animals protected, the passion Moreto witnesses across the world for the animals is what inspires him to keep researching.
“The moment rangers see an animal — despite seeing the species hundreds of times — they’re still excited,” he says. “They take photos and slow down to enjoy the moment. It’s nice to see these little pockets of happiness. They’re genuinely passionate about conservation, too."