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 60 rangers and an estimated 240 livelihoods in and around Nyika National Park in Malawi.

The role of rangers:

Through the dedicated efforts of rangers, there has been a significant decline in poaching, and an increase in the populations of key species on the Nyika plateau.

One success story is that of the Nyika elephants. Three decades ago, more than 300 elephants graced the steep foothills of the Nyika Plateau. Extreme poaching resulted in an estimated 67% decline in this population since 1992, and by 2016 only approximately 100 elephants were left. Through rewilding and ongoing anti-poaching efforts, the population is slowly being re-established. The level of poaching across species, especially for bushmeat, remains high, however, and a priority challenge to address if a sustainable future is to be secured for this conservation area.

Rangers remove hundreds of snares and gin traps every month from the parks and often arrest bushmeat poachers. They also guard against the rampant illegal harvesting of orchids used to make a plant-based salami (a type of cured sausage typically consisting of fermented and air-dried meat) which is high in nutrients. A number of researchers have reported a dramatic rise in the demand for these flowering plants, which are becoming critically endangered as high, unsustainable exploitation pressures threaten their future existence.

Although strikingly beautiful, the wide-open plains and wooded slopes make for very difficult anti-poaching operations. In many areas one can see several kilometres across the grasslands, which means that poachers can spot rangers heading their way very easily. Intercepting poachers targeting the park’s precious natural resources in those conditions is very difficult, especially if they are aware of being pursued. This is compounded by poor road conditions and limited network connectivity that make the rangers’ job that much more difficult.

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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.