Patrolling in the heights of Khorand Village in Ravar County, Kerman Province, Ali Khajoui, a park ranger, came across three poachers who opened fire and killed him on the spot on Monday.
Although the case was immediately reported to the security office at Kerman's General Governorate, and a helicopter was dispatched to transfer the wounded park ranger to a hospital, he did not survive.
According to Malek Ajdari, governor of Ravar, the victim was shot three times in the stomach and died in less than eight hours, IRNA reported.
"An arrest was made in connection with the murder of Khajoui, with the suspect confessing to the crime," Ajdari said.
At the time of writing this news report, the other two offenders had been identified but were yet to be captured.
Khajoui had been protecting the environment for eight years.
DOE Message
Isa Kalantari, head of the Department of Environment, extended condolences in an official message to the family of the victim and the community of park rangers.
He also called on the Parliament to review and pass as soon as possible a pending bill on protecting park rangers that has been under deliberation in the commissions for a year.
"The bill could help park rangers to work with greater peace of mind," he said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Park rangers are among the most hardworking yet poorly-paid employees of DOE who do not receive the legal protection they deserve. Numerous park rangers have been charged in the past and at present with murder for killing illegal hunters in gunfights.
Environmentalists have criticized poor legal protection for park rangers, arguing that if they are charged with murder for doing their job, they should not be armed in the first place.
Officials believe the arguments will come to an end if the long-awaited bill on legal support for park rangers is put into practice.
The bill, which was drafted by the DOE in July 2016 was approved by the Majlis Judicial and Legal Commission in an early May session.
According to the bill, rangers and their families will benefit from the perks envisaged for the martyrs and war veterans if they get injured or killed while on duty, Hassan Norouzi, spokesman for the commission had earlier said.
"Furthermore, they will not be imprisoned, punished or forced to pay restitution if they injure or accidentally shoot offenders during their patrols," IRNA had quoted him as saying.
The bill also states that government-provided medical insurance should apply to park rangers and their families.
