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 Honeyguide Foundation’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 15 rangers and an estimated 12000 livelihoods in and around the Manyara Ranch in Tanzania. 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:

Manyara is a high-risk area susceptible to poachers and requires an approach that understands and exploits the opportunities that deter poachers from entering the ranch.  The rangers are all registered as Village Game Scouts under the Wildlife Act and have the necessary legal support to arrest and protect wildlife. The rangers and the Canine Unit work with different institutions within the government depending on the given situation.  Any crime incident that extends outside the ranch, WMA and in urban areas will involve the police. Their role is to protect the wildlife, rangeland and community wealth.

Impact that 2020 WRC had on Organisation & Rangers:

Zero elephants have been poached across the community areas - the Manyara Ranch K9 unit is the largely responsible for this outcome. It is the only dog tracking facility for over six conservation areas in the ecosystem stretching from Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the Tarangire National Park. The overall objective of the K9 unit is to provide a high risk environment for poaching and to deter poachers. By providing a tracker dog even for criminal cases such as murder and theft within the community centers that surround the parks and conservation areas, further cements their reputation to track down criminals.

Ongoing effects of the pandemic:

The K9 unit scope of work is extremely diverse, responding to poaching, GBH, murder, and rape cases, the unit is exposed to more social and conservation challenges than most rangers. The cases and incidents over the past 12 months have not changed dramatically in both the conservation or social incidents; with zero elephants killed in any community area and only random bushmeat poaching, the K9 unit has continued to invest in training the partner conservation organization. They trained 68 rangers and More than 1,027 communities on how to protect crime scenes from tempering investment.

How support in 2021 could help:

The K9 unit is an essential tool for protection, and where the K9 unit based in Manyara Ranch can support so many conservation organizations, this tool is essentially operating over 10,500 km2 at a cost of only $25,000 per year, this protection tool is coming in just under two and a half dollars per km2. Furthermore, the deterrent element of the K9 unit is overwhelming, and has a proven track record where dogs have over a 90% success rate at identifying criminals in all cases

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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.