You can follow campaign updates on social media with #ForWildlifeRangers or find out more at WildlifeRangerChallenge.org.

About the Wildlife Ranger Challenge:

Covid-19 has created a temporary safer world for Africa’s wildlife. But the floodgates are opening as the economic impacts of Covid drive more poaching. With tourism gone, the rangers who care for wildlife lack the resources to do their jobs. The Bongo Surveillance Project’s ranger teams are joining thousands of others across the continent taking part in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a series of physical and mental challenges, culminating in a 21km virtual race on Saturday 18th September.

You can join them! Show your support and sign up to run or walk with the community game scout team from wherever you are in the world:  WildlifeRangerChallenge.org/registration. Now is the time to go the extra mile to support our rangers!

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Your contribution will help support 21 rangers and an estimated 125 livelihoods in and around the Aberdare National Park in Kenya. Every dollar we raise via JustGiving will earn an additional 25% match!

Your donation also helps to unlock vital funds for other ranger teams across Africa; the Scheinberg Relief Fund will donate the equivalent of 75% of the amount raised to the Ranger Fund!

The role of rangers:

The purpose of Bongo Surveillance Project (BSP) is to help secure a future for the world’s last remaining wild Mountain Bongo antelope and to protect the forests where they live.  21 Bongo Surveillance  Rangers are now working full time with 100% pay across different ecosystems, namely Mau forest (particularly Maasai Mau), Mt Kenya and Aberdares. The BSP Rangers play an important role in monitoring, surveillance and scientific data collection, whilst also working with conservation outreach teams to establish healthy working relationships with communities and schools to protect bongo, other wildlife conservation and habitats, while addressing alternative livelihood community projects.

Impact that 2020 WRC had on Organisation & Rangers:

The BSP Rangers have been able to return to their surveillance in the high Kenya forests, Aberdare, Mt Kenya, Mau and Eburu, identifying the ever increasing illegal activities evolving in these diverse old forests, including timber and poaching activities. The funds have not only allowed the employment of trackers but this support has extended into the communities, for example funding community support trackers, and the purchase of rations has in turn supported local suppliers, providing income to these families through the BSP supply chain. 

There is a decrease in illegal forest and poaching activities due constant joint BSP/KWS/KFS surveillance work.

Ongoing effects of the pandemic:

From May 2020 - the impact of Covid-19 has seen a sharp rise in illegal forest activities, as recorded by our rangers from different areas of operations.  These include a rise in the number of snares removed, the number of wildlife fatalities from snares, the number of arrests of poachers, plus illegal logging and harvesting of cedar posts and in addition, human-wildlife conflicts.

Currently these figures have decreased, an indication of improvement in illegal forest activities and a gradual decrease in wildlife poaching.

Generally, with Tusk WRC funding, the situation has now improved, due to constant BSP Rangers presence in the forest. Monitoring, surveillance and meetings with stakeholders and government representatives have improved and impacted positively in potential curbing of illegal activities. The outreach programmes have played a vital role in gradually changing the mindset of those closest forest communities, through Knowledge, Attitude and Practices and how they respect the forests and ownership of their resources.

How support in 2021 could help:

Keeping the rangers safely in the field on forest foot patrols and collecting scientific data, together with the necessary equipment (tents, uniforms, GPS gadgets, cameras and batteries) to protect the Mountain Bongo, other wildlife and the forest habitat. The funds will also help in the replacement of field equipment, maintenance, paying for salaries, catering for field transport costs and rations.

Regular joint forest foot patrols by BSP/Partners in the field will improve the working relations with the local community, resulting in reduced  illegal forest and poaching activities; plus the organisation of  local community outreach meetings, for sensitization on conservation and alternative livelihoods.

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Tusk Trust Limited is a charity registered in England and Wales, No: 1186533, and a company registered in England and Wales, No: 11948023. 

In the US, “The Friends of Tusk Fund” donor advised fund is administered by CAF America (Tax ID 68-0480736)

Donors who pay tax in the UK can enhance their donation through Gift Aid, meaning that for every £10 raised, Tusk can recover an additional £2.50 for the cause from the UK Government.

US supporters wishing to make a tax deductible donation please click here.