Primatologist Mariani “Bam” Ramli has once again been selected as a World Female Ranger Week Ambassador, marking her second consecutive year in the global spotlight.

Mariani, founder and project director of Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS), is the only Malaysian woman to ever receive this honour, GCS said in a press release.

World Female Ranger Week, founded by conservationist Holly Budge and her UK-based non-governmental organisation How Many Elephants, is in its fifth year.

This global awareness campaign celebrates the courage, resilience and leadership of women on the frontlines of conservation, amplifying their voices and challenging long-standing gender inequalities in the field.

“To be chosen again as an ambassador for World Female Ranger Week is incredibly meaningful – not just for me, but for Malaysia’s entire conservation community,” the Sabah-born Mariani shared.

“It’s a recognition of how critical local, women-led initiatives are in protecting our biodiversity.”

Mariani spent over a decade rehabilitating gibbons and training female indigenous rangers across project sites at Malaya Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (Malaya GReP) based in Raub, Pahang, and Borneo Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (Borneo GReP) based in Kota Belud, Sabah.

Her leadership at GCS helped pave the way for indigenous women, especially from the Semai as well as Kadazan Dusun communities, to take up active leadership roles in wildlife protection.

“For many of these women, becoming a ranger isn’t just about protecting wildlife or earning a monthly salary.

“It’s a powerful act of reclaiming agency in the face of restrictive gender roles and gender-based violence,” she added.

“They are challenging the norms that have excluded them from decision-making spaces for generations.

“Their stories deserve recognition – not just once a year, but always.”

She said the recent smuggling attempt of four live gibbons to India at Kuala Lumpur International Airport highlighted the urgency for expanding Malaysia’s capacity for rescue, repatriation and rehabilitation of trafficked wildlife.

“We know exactly what these animals have endured.

“They are torn from their families, kept in isolation and treated like objects,” Mariani said.

“Cases like this are exactly why our work exists.

“Gibbons are not pets, props or commodities – they are wild beings with complex needs and social structures.”

Rescue and repatriation were the first steps, Mariani said.

“We are ready to work with Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) to ensure repatriated gibbons and other rescued wildlife receive the long-term care they need, with clear rehabilitation pathways in place.

“We have the tools and expertise to help make that possible.”

She said rigorous health assessments ensured no gibbon would be released before they were truly ready – physically, emotionally and socially.

“Many rescued gibbons come to us with hidden infections, often linked to prolonged human contact or substandard captive conditions,” she said.

“Through structured health checks, we’re able to identify concerns like salmonella, anaemia or dental disease early and intervene in time.”

A cornerstone of GSC’s work is its annual gibbon health check – a comprehensive medical and behavioural evaluation that informs each gibbon’s individual rehabilitation plan.

World Female Ranger Week shines a light on women rangers who double as educators, protectors, breadwinners, and community leaders.

The women ambassadors come from a range of conservation efforts around the world, including the protection of endangered storks in India, the rescue of chimps in Liberia and anti-poaching concerns in Kenya.