About the Wildlife Ranger Challenge:

COVID-19 has brought tourism revenue to a halt across Africa, threatening the important work and livelihoods of the rangers who protect iconic African wildlife such as elephants, pangolins, rhinos, lions, and more. Ranger teams are now uniting around the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a running race with one goal: to raise money to support thousands of their fellow rangers. Now is the time to go the extra mile—it’s time to race to support our rangers. Every dollar donated will be matched by the Scheinberg Relief Fund, doubling your generous contribution.

Your contribution will help support 20 rangers and an estimated 100 livelihoods in and around Chewore North in Zimbabwe.

The role of rangers:

Rangers in the Chewore North Safari Area (1,350 sq. km), part of Mana-Sapi-Chewore UNESCO World Heritage Site,  work as the front line of defence across a biodiverse-rich landscape along Zimbabwe’s Zambezi River and its hinterland.  Rangers patrolling this area work in extremely rugged and remote conditions, also patrolling approximately 70kms of Zambezi River through its Mupata Gorge, border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. 

How your donation will help:

Any donations would go toward funding patrolling and anti-poaching operations in the area. 

* Rangers would receive a six-month dry rations food pack and vital patrol equipment, such as backpacks and boots. 

*Patrol boat fuels provision, servicing and maintenance can be continued thus supporting uninterrupted patrolling on the Zambezi River.

 *Deployment of strategic ranger foot patrols to remote parts of Chewore North will continue. 

*Food security for Ranger patrols enhanced vegetable garden replanting and maintenance

Effects of the pandemic:

The pandemic is starting to hit home in no small way in respect of the rapid rise of poverty levels. Usually, the protected areas generate livelihoods and gender-equal skills-learning opportunities for ranger communities through ecotourism as well strengthening those households’ resilience to risk.  Communities usually employed in tourism, safari hunting, and recreational fishing have been significantly compromised. The rapid rise in snaring activity for bushmeat, in illegal gold panning and mining, large scale fishing, and other desperate activities point clearly to COVID-19 and the devastation it is leaving in its wake.

Fortunately, wildlife protection has been designated an essential service since the beginning of Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 lockdown and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has maintained its patrolling and anti-poaching operations in its protected areas. Continued funding is at risk, however, for ranger resources such as solar powered infrastructure for water and energy, food security through vegetable gardens, patrol rations and equipment, boat and vehicle maintenance, fuel, and ongoing training in anti-poaching and spatial monitoring.

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Tusk is registered with JustGiving in the UK (or GoFundMe.com in the USA). Our online fundraising sites allow you to create a sponsorship form with easy access for your supporters, knowing their money is going directly to Tusk. UK tax-paying donors can enhance their contribution by agreeing to Gift Aid their sponsorship (for every £10 you raise, Tusk will receive another £2.50 from the Government provided you are a UK taxpayer). US supporters wishing to make a tax deductible donation can do so via GoFundMe.com.

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