Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group, addresses the African Rangers Awards ceremony held in Accra, Ghana, Nov. 15, 2019. China's Jack Ma Foundation, together with the Paradise Foundation, awarded 10 rangers from different African countries for their outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation here on Friday. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

ACCRA, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's Jack Ma Foundation, together with the Paradise Foundation, awarded 10 rangers from different African countries for their outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation here on Friday.

Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group, one of China's major online shopping platforms, commended all the African rangers for their efforts in conserving wildlife.

"I believe the rangers are real heroes of the earth. The difference between you and us is that while we protect ourselves first, you use your lives to protect wildlife. You are different," he said.

The African Rangers Awards ceremony held in Accra, the capital of Ghana, was part of the Jack Ma Foundation's initiative to raise awareness about the relationship between development and environmental conservation.

He expressed optimism about Africa's future due to the creativity and tenacity of young entrepreneurs on the continent, calling for development and conservation to go hand-in-hand.

"Africa is a land full of hope. Africa is the land where I can feel changes every year. So let us work together to protect Africa, to develop Africa, to enable Africa," he urged.

The rangers took the time to tell the stories of their work while displaying some of the most memorable articles of their work.

The only female ranger among the awardees, Mirriam Namushi, has nearly 30 years of experience as a ranger in Zambia. She expressed gratitude to the two foundations for their recognition of her contribution.

"This inspires me a lot to continue in my profession, and give of my best to conserve wildlife, and it is a great job," she told Xinhua.