1 Tahrcountry Musings: Wildlife conservation - A very sad incident that just recently occurred in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Wildlife conservation - A very sad incident that just recently occurred in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

IUCN WCPA News Release


Park rangers protect the natural areas that we all enjoy and benefit from – sometimes risking paying the highest price, as is demonstrated by the tragic incident that just recently occurred in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington:
Park ranger Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot on New Year’s Day while on duty. She set up a traffic block to stop a car that had passed an earlier checkpoint violating some winter driving regulations. The driver opened fire, killing her, and then fled into the woods. His body was found dead in the park the next day.

Margaret Anderson leaves behind a husband, who is also a ranger, and two young girls. Nearly 3,000 people attended the memorial service on 10 January. Even though she was only the 9th ranger killed on duty in the history of the US National Park Service, the numbers have increased over the last 20 years.

In other countries around the world, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, rangers have to face even greater danger on their job, arising not only from the risk associated to their work in the wild but often from humans; particularly in a pace of armed conflicts and difficult anti-poaching operations. The great risks that rangers such as Margaret Anderson and her colleagues worldwide take to protect our nature should not be underestimated. They are protecting places that contribute to the health of the planet and therefore benefit all of us. These “guardians” of an increasingly threatened nature deserves society’s respect and highest recognition.

7 comments:

Ramesh said...

My heart goes out to the brave lady

Mohan Alembath said...

Yes, Ramesh, it is the rangers, like this brave lady, that is the mainstay of conservation
The job of rangers is becoming increasingly difficult with passing years.

Philip Davis said...

So sad

O.Jayarajan said...

Sad story. Tomorrow similar incidents may occur in India if the Man Animal Conflicts, Poaching and Tourism atrocities go unchecked.
-O.Jayarajan

Anto.G said...

Jayarajan, it is occurring in India and other parts of the world.150 rangers have been killed in one park alone in the Democratic Republic of Congo trying to protect Gorillas.

Mohan Alembath said...

An excellent piece of writing by Timothy Egan, titled "A Murder at Paradise", about the murder Park ranger Margaret Anderson, has appeared in The New York Times
Here is the link for it
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/a-murder-at-paradise/

Ratheesh.K.N said...

No doubt, rangers are facing greater danger in their job around the world. They deserve respect for the fantastic work they are doing.