The new six-part series, ‘Guardians’, featuring Britain’s Prince William throws light upon the dangerous work of wildlife rangers. William who is associated to the documentary, has already made the ranger’s efforts one of the important causes of his campaign. ‘Guardians’ will be broadcasted from Friday on BBC Earth’s YouTube and social media channels
The show is William’s brainchild, aimed to emphasise the perilous work done by the rangers. It explains the threatened environments the rangers are exposed to, in order to protect the wildlife.
The documentary will have immersive footages of six major areas – Central African Republic, the Himalayas, Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, Kruger national park in South Africa, Sri Lanka and Caru Indigenous Land in Brazil. Each episode will be of a new story, six to ten minute long.
The Central African Republic episode will cover the story of a reformed poacher who now, dedicates his life for wildlife protection.
The Himalayan episode will show the efforts of rangers for the coexistence of snow leopards and local communities.
The episode about Mexico’s Sea of Cortez features what was once called “the world’s aquarium.” It tells the story a reformed illegal fisherman who now protects the disturbed ecosystem.
The Kruger National Park episode explains about the groups of people who toils to protect and rescue endangered rhinos, facing poaching threats.
Sri Lankan episode will deal about hardworking veterinary experts who works to rehabilitate elephants, leopards and other animals at risk.
Caru Indigenous Land episode will explore the community-led fight to prevent the illegal wildlife crimes.
"The reality is that protecting our natural world has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. We need to understand and recognise nature’s Guardians, and the critical work they do," William said.
The rangers are frontline fighters who take massive risks for sustainable human-animal coexistence and prevention of habitat loss. They work amidst poachers and endangered species for wildlife protection, William added.
‘Guardians’ is developed by United for Wildlife founded by William and his charitable foundation. The project also includes a five-year financial package which provides access to affordable insurance cover for 10,000 rangers across Africa, under their ‘Nature Protectors’ initiative.
William had met several rangers during his travels. He realised their hardships after civil wars, illegal fishing or poaching through them.
William and United for Wildlife frequently raises their voice against illegal wildlife trade. As per their observation, illegal wildlife trade is approximately worth up to $20 billion annually, and it is linked to violent crime, corruption and trafficking. Yet, 1.5 million more rangers are required to meet global environment biodiversity targets by 2030 said William.
The prince also paid tribute to late ranger Anton Mzimba, who was shot dead at a nature reserve in South Africa. About 1,400 rangers had lost their lives due to their risky profession over the past ten years, mostly none of them reported.
