IMPACT Madagascar - Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2023

3 DAYS Until the Big Race!

WRC Sit-up Challenge!

🇲🇬Arabaina ireo ekipa 2 nandray anjara t@ fifaninana fanaovana pompe, ho fiomanana @ #wildliferangerchallenge Ekipa FOSA nahavita pompe 207 tao anatin'ny 2 minitra Ekipa SIFAKA nahavita 195 ta anatin'ny 2 minitra Afaka jerena ato @rohy ny valin'ny fifaninana pompe https://wildliferangerchallenge.org/situp-challenge/ Araho hatrany ny vaovao eto, 3 andro sisa mialoha ny hazakazaky ny #Rangers 🌳🌳🌳 🇬🇧The restults are in! Big congratulations to all the teams participating in the WRC Situp Challenge! Each ranger team was challenged to see how many sit-ups they could complete in 2 minutes. Team Fosa completed an incredible 207 situps... And Team Sifaka completed an impressive 195 situps! 🌳🌳🌳 Full results can be found here: https://wildliferangerchallenge.org/situp-challenge/ Stay tuned for the Big Race - happening in just three days!

Introducing Ranger François on Team Madagascar!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meet the latest of our Rangers, François, whose bio you can check out in both English and Malagasy below! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Randriamanantena François, 33 taona ary manambady sy mananjanaka 2 mianadahy. Monina ao Ambohimena. Tamin’ny taona 2017 izy no niditra polisin’ala. Nisafidy ny hanao polsin’ala aho satria mahafinaritra ahy ny miaro ny ala sy ny zava-mananaina ao anatiny. Tiako ny asako satria manana fahafahana aho miaro ny olona tsy hanimba sy handoro tanety ary tsy hanimba ny tontolo iainana. Manentana ny olona mba tsy hikapa hazo tsy ara-dala, manao fisafoana ny ala sy manisa biby. Manaramaso ny ao anaty ala rehetra. Ankafiziko avokoa ireo biby rehetra ao anaty ala. Raha tsy nandray andraikitra aho amin’ny maha-polisin’ala aho dia tahaka izay dia efa ringana ny ala sy fongana ireo biby ao anatiny. Hentitra dia hentitra ny lehilahy eny anivon’ny fiaraha monina. Tokony hatsaraina hatrany ny solon’andro iasanay satria miakatra hatrany izao ny vidim-piainana moa koa ny andro efa maina ka mia-mafy ny asa ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Randriamanantena François, 33, is married with 2 children, and lives in Ambohimena. He joined the ranger team in 2017. "I chose to become a ranger," he says, "because I love protecting the forest and the living creatures that live there. I like my job because I have the opportunity to raise people's awareness about not destroying the forest and to fight against bushfire and environmental destruction. I encourage people not to cut down trees illegally, I patrol the forest and count the animals and the pressures and threats. I love all the animals in the forest. If I didn't take responsibility as a forest ranger, the forest would have been destroyed and the animals in it would have disappeared." François is serious and very strict in his company. "We have to keep improving our working days despite the difficulties we encounter when carrying out our work," he says.

Let's Meet Ranger GABRIEL on Team Madagascar!

Rakotovahoaka Gabriel, 39 taona, manambady ary mananjanaka 4, monina ao Mahajeby. Niditra ho polisin’ala tamin’ny taona 2017. Ny fahapotehan’ny ala no nandrisika azy hanao polisin’ala ka mila fandraisana andraikitra. Ka anisan’ny itiavako ny asa ny fandraisako anjara amin’ny fiarovana mba tsy ho lany tamingana. Anisan’ny asa andrasana amin’ny polisin’ala mantsy ny fiarovana ny tontolo iainana. Raha tsy nisy ny fandraisana andraikitra dia tahaka izay efa potika tanteraka ny ala. Mba hampaharitra azy dia dia mbola vonona ny tenanako hanao ny asa ary mila hamafisina izany asa fiarovana izany. Masiaka tokoa izy eo ampanantanterahana ny asany ary tsy mati-kena maso mihitsy fan a iza na iza manao ny tsy mety any amin’ny faritra arovana dia tsy mitsitsy mihitsy izy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rakotovahoaka Gabriel, aged 39, is married with 4 children and lives in Mahajeby. He joined the Rangers in 2017. The destruction of the forest prompted him to become a Ranger and he had to take on responsibilities. "Part of what I like about my job," he says, "Is my involvement in conservation so that the forest doesn't disappear. One of the tasks expected of rangers is to protect the environment. Without this work, the forest would have been completely destroyed. For this activity to last, I'm always ready to do the job and I need to strengthen its protection." Gabriel is very strict in carrying out his work and doesn't turn a blind eye to anyone who commits offences in the protected area.

Let's Meet Ranger SAMUEL on Team Madagascar!

SAMUEL -------------------- Ranaivorimanana Mamitiana Emmanuel dit Samuel, teraka tamin’ny taona 1979 tao Miandrarivo manambady manan-janaka 7. Monina ao Kamolandy. Tamin’ny taona 2011 no nanomboka niditra polisin’ala ka hiaro ireo ala sisa tavela no tanjoko amin’izany hoy izy. Ny asako dia manaramaso ny zavatra miditra sy mivoaka avy ao anaty faritra harovana ka raisina an-tsoratra avokoa izany. Maro ireo karazan-javamananaina hita ao anaty ala izay mila harovana fatratra toy ny sifaka, fosa, sokatra kapika. Raha tsy niaro azy ireo aho dia mety ho lany tamingana avokoa ireo biby ireo satria simba ny toara-ponenany. Mbola manantena fiofanana aho ho fanamafisana ny fiarovana ireo faritra harovana. Tia mitarika sy tia manentana olona, be haniany ary tia miomehy. Hentitra amin’ny zavatra hatao anefa. Ny loko mena no tena tiany. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ranaivorimana Mamitiana Emmanuel, known as Samuel, was born in 1979 in Miandrarivo. He is married with 7 children and lives in Kamolandy. "I joined the forest police in 2011, and my aim is to protect the remaining forests," he says. "My job is to keep track of what goes in and out of the protected area while recording. There are many species of animals in the forest that need to be protected, such as sifaka, fosa and lake turtles. If I didn't protect them, all these animals would have disappeared because their habitats had been destroyed. I'm still hoping for training courses to improve the protection of the area where we work." Samuel likes leading the team and motivating people; he's funny and likes to laugh. But he's firm about what he does. His favourite colour is red.

RANGER BIOS - Velo Tseny

Let's meet Ranger Velo Tseny on team Madagascar! ________________________________________________________ Tseny Vincent, 43 taona, manambady, manan-janaka 4, monina ao Kamolandy. Niditra ho polisin’ala tamin’ny taona 2021. Originaire du sud –est de Madagascar. Efa zatra miaina anaty ala tany amin’ny ala antsinanana. Nahasarika ahy hoy izy ny hanao polisin’ala dia ny faniriako mba hitazona ny ala maitso izay ho holovain’ny zafikely. Tiko mba tsy ho lany tamingana ny biby ao anaty ala. Manamafy ny fiarovana ny ala aho mba ho an’ny taranaka fara mandimby any aoriana. Mbola tiako hamafisina hatrany ny asa fiarovana. Efa lehibem-pokonolona ka matotra sy to-teny eo amin’ny fiaraha-monina. Tia misakafo sy mandeha tongotra satria dia mpandehandeha no fialamboliny. ________________________________________________________ Tseny Vincent, 43, married, father of 4, lives in Kamolandy. He joined the patrol team in 2021. Originally from south-east Madagascar, he used to live in the eastern forest. He says that "what drew me to become a ranger was my desire to keep the forest green, which will be inherited by my grandchildren. I don't want the animals in the forest to disappear. I'm strengthening the protection of the forest for future generations. As a ranger, I want to emphasise the importance of protecting the environment." Already a community leader, he is mature and expresses himself well in the community. He enjoys eating and walking, as his hobby is traveling.

RANGER BIOS - Hita

Let's meet the Rangers on team Madagascar, starting with Hita - in Malagasy, French, and English below! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- HITA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hitaniaina Tolojanahary dit HITA, 29 taona, manambady ary efa mananjanaka 2. Tamin’ny taona 2011 no niditra ho polisin’ala raha vao nijanona tamin’ny fianarany. Resy lahatra amin’ny fiarovana ny ala voajanahary sy ireo biby isan-karazany hita ao anaty ala rehefa niaraka tamin’ny rainy matetika tany anaty ala. Nisafidy ny hanao polisin’ala izy na dia mbola vao tanora vao herotrerony aza nohon’ny fitiavan’ny ala mba tsy ho potika. Izy rahateo dia efa zatra miditra anaty ala. Somary be tsy meteny izy kanefa hentitra ary mahavita tsara ny asan’ny polisin’ala dia ny miaro ny ala sy ireo biby ao anatiny ary mandrara ny olona mba tsy handende ao raha tsy fantatra ny diany ao. Amin’ireo karazan-javamanan’aina ao anaty ala dia ny sifaka no ankafiziny indrindra noho izy efa mpanaraka azy isan’andro ity biby ity. Raha tsy nanao polisin’ala aho hoy izy dia mety lasanivadika tanimbary ny ala. Manantena mba hampiasa omby aho hoy izy mba hanampiako ny famelomana ny vady amanjanako. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hitaniaina Tolojanahary dit HITA, 29 ans, marié et père de 2 enfants. En 2011, il intègre l’équipe de ranger dès l'arrêt de ses études. Convaincu de protéger la forêt naturelle et les différents animaux qui s'y trouvent. Avant d’être ranger, il accompagnait souvent son père lors de patrouilles forestières. Il a choisi de devenir ranger alors qu'il était encore jeune car il aimait la forêt pour qu'elle ne soit pas détruite. Après tout, il a l'habitude d'aller dans la forêt. Il parle peu, mais il est strict et fait bien le travail de ranger qui est de protéger la forêt et les animaux sauvages et d'interdire aux gens d'y aller s'ils ne savent pas ce qu'ils y vont faire. Parmi les animaux de la forêt, il aime le plus le sifaka car cet animal est suivi par lui tous les jours. Si je ne faisais pas de ranger, dit-il, la forêt pourrait être transformée en rizière et les sifaka pourraient disparaitre. Il a dit qu'il espère utiliser des bœufs pour aider à subvenir aux besoins de sa famille en tant que cultivateur aussi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hitaniaina Tolojanahary, known as HITA, is 29, married and the father of 2 children. In 2011, he joined the ranger team as soon as he stopped studying. Convinced of the need to protect the natural forest and the various animals that live there. Before becoming a ranger, he often accompanied his father on forest patrols. He chose to become a ranger when he was still young because he loved the forest and didn't want it to be destroyed. After all, he's used to going into the forest. He doesn't say much, but he's strict and does the ranger's job well, which is to protect the forest and the wild animals and to forbid people to go there if they don't know what they're going to do. Of all the animals in the forest, he likes the sifaka the most because he follows it every day. If I didn't have a ranger," he says, "the forest could be turned into a rice field and the sifaka could disappear. He said he hopes to use oxen to help support his family as a farmer too.

Meet Our Rangers!

For the fourth year running, IMPACT Madagascar is proud to be sponsoring the only Ranger team from Madagascar! We're always amazed by the dedication, hard work, and passion of our Rangers, and we're pleased to introduce François, Gabriel, Hery, Hita, Rado, Samuel, Velotseny, and Venance! These hardworking Rangers play a huge role in the conservation and protection of Madagascar's many threatened and endangered endemic species. Did you know - 90% of Madagascar's flora and fauna are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else on earth! We're talking about fish, reptiles, birds, insects, plants, and of course - LEMURS! Our Rangers help to protect and monitor Crowned Sifakas, Red Ruffed Lemurs, Mongoose Lemurs, and Greater Bamboo Lemurs...just to name a few. Keep an eye on this page for further photos and Ranger bios, coming soon!

Support a unique conservation initiative empowering and uniting wildlife rangers across Africa.

Wildlife rangers operate on the very frontline of conservation across Africa, routinely making personal sacrifices to put their lives on the line to protect the continent’s magnificent wildlife and habitats. Yet they are so much more than just law enforcement officers: rangers are teachers, community support workers, mediators, researchers and so much more. Unfortunately, resources are not keeping pace with the scale of the challenges they are trying to tackle. For the fourth year running, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge sets out to redress this, by raising critical funding to cover operating costs, including salaries and equipment, for over 10,000 rangers. This will help them protect threatened wildlife and some of the continent's most vulnerable areas, while also protecting communities and securing coexistence with wildlife, as well as providing for their own families.