World Ranger Day is a momentous occasion for the Rangers, celebrated annually on July 31, with jubilation by all Forestry Offices around the country. In Bhutan, the day was commemorated with great enthusiasm by forestry offices nationwide.
In Thimphu, the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS), Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MoENR), commemorated World Ranger Day on July 31, 2025, at the Royal Institute of Management under the Global Theme “Rangers: Powering Transformative Conservation”. It emphasizes the pivotal role Rangers, Guardians of Nature, play in driving positive change for nature by building interlinkages between traditional knowledge and ever-evolving technology. The theme highlights their work as catalysts for inclusive and community-led conservation efforts. Further, it is time yet again to commemorate fallen Rangers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The event was graced by His Excellency, Lyonpo Gem Tshering, the Hon’ble Minister of MoENR, as the Chief Guest. He was joined by Dasho Paljor J. Dorji, Special Advisor to the National Environment Commission, alongside senior government officials and the representatives of conservation partners, State-Owned Enterprises, Civil Society Organizations, and other development partners. Retired and superannuated Rangers also joined the event to commemorate the occasion.
The event commenced with a recitation of His Majesty’s Zhabten for the well-being and good health of the Druk Gyalpo. In his welcome address, Chief Forestry Officer of the Nature Conservation Division, DoFPS welcomed the distinguished guests to pay tribute to Rangers. He highlighted that Bhutan first celebrated this significant day in 2017 and it has become a meaningful tradition to honor the courage, dedication, and sacrifices of the men and women who protect our forests, wildlife, and natural heritage often under the most challenging conditions. Further, he stressed that the day marks the reunion of extended family, Bhutan’s Frontline Conservation Heroes.
The Chief Guest, the Hon’ble Lyonpo, in his keynote address, highlighted the importance of Rangers and their profound and enormous mandates and responsibilities of safeguarding our natural heritage that we have with pride. Further, Lyonpo expressed appreciation to Rangers for their sacrifices in upholding the vision of our Kings to maintain sixty percent of our land under forest cover as enshrined in the Constitution. Furthermore, His Excellency highlighted that our forest is a genuine resource and Bhutan’s carbon-neutral status is driven by the collective conservation efforts of Rangers “as an identity with unity”.
As a part of the commemoration, the DoFPS launched several major initiatives, including the following:
- Department Theme Song “Tshendhen Kaybe Zhing Na”;
- National Zero Poaching Strategy;
- Operation Guidelines for Management and Monitoring of High Conservation Value (HCV) areas;
- Conservation Action Plans for Golden Langur and Red Panda; and
- Report on the Population Status and Habitat Use of Golden Langur along the National Highway of Bhutan
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In recognition of dedication and exceptional service, the Forest Monitoring and Information Division was awarded the first Best Ranger Team for outstanding performance. Similarly, the Forest Resources Planning and Management Division was awarded the second Best Ranger Team, while the Jigme Khesar Strict Nature Reserve bagged the third Best Ranger Team. In addition, Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) certificates were conferred to the Divisional Forest Office, Zhemgang, and the Jigme Dorji National Park for excellence in the management of tiger conservation landscapes.
The celebration of World Ranger Day 2025 concluded on a heartfelt note, as the Hon’ble Lyonpo, MoENR, extended formal felicitations to the Superannuated Rangers who retired effective January 2024, to honor their years of distinguished service and dedication to conservation. Likewise, World Ranger Day 2025 was commemorated nationwide with generous support from our trusted conservation partners — WWF Bhutan, UNDP, IUCN, BFL, BES, RSPN, BTFEC, and the Bhutan Foundation — whose contributions have been instrumental in enabling the Department of Forests and Park Services and the Royal Government of Bhutan to advance our conservation goals.
