Rangers working in the Reserves
In 2018, a google alert came in one morning about the rangers working to monitor the Pandas and other wildlife in the An Zi He Reserve. The news article talked about how they didn’t have the proper hiking boots and equipment for their work in the harsh conditions of the Qionglai Mountains. But what got us most was the problem with leeches getting on their skin!!!! The head ranger, Mr. Fu Qiang, was quoted in the article so we immediately reached out to him and these rangers.
The front line of Panda Conservation is the rangers working in the various reserves in China. These rangers monitor the wild population, guard against poaching and logging as well as observing the conditions of the habitat. In 2018, Pandas International began a program to support these rangers working in harsh outdoor conditions.
Proper equipment is a must for these dedicated rangers so PI provides outdoor equipment including: tents, backpacks, goose down sleeping bags, flashlights and hiking sticks. Plus Clothing: all-weather suits, all-weather pants, caps, rain coats, hiking socks, shoes and snow covers.
The climate is harsh on all the equipment, so this will need to be an ongoing annual commitment.
These rangers go into the wild for up to 14 days, – Backpacking and carrying all their supplies for the entire time. On a trip into the reserves they can find upwards of 100 traps, designed to catch other animals, but are also an extreme danger to wild pandas. They do 8 or more trips per year, so that is over 800 traps a year they potentially could find.
A major portion of the mission of Pandas International is Panda Conservation and these dedicated rangers are the front line of protecting the wild pandas. Pandas International is now supporting the rangers of
- An Zi He Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province
- Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province
- Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve in Gansu Province
