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. Tsavo Trust’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 30 rangers and an estimated 300 livelihoods in and around the Tsavo Conservation Area 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:

Five anti-poaching teams conduct daily patrols alongside the Kenya Wildlife Service to secure the Tsavo Conservation Area,  which incorporates Kenya’s largest official Protected Areas: it houses Kenya’s largest single elephant population, the iconic “Tusker” elephants, and many other high-value species including black rhino and hirola. These mobile teams work to defend elephants and other wildlife against ivory and bushmeat poachers, traffickers, illegal livestock grazing, hardwood extraction, and human-wildlife conflict threats. In 2020 these teams collected 524 snares, made 25 arrests, recovered 1,477kg of bushmeat, and located 23 elephant carcasses.

Impact that 2020 WRC had on Organisation & Rangers:

With funding from the WRC in 2020, Tsavo Trust (TT) has continued to employ 10 anti-poaching rangers with their full salaries (all of whom come from local communities that border the Tsavo National Parks) for one year. This has indirectly supported an additional 100 family members. These rangers have provided vital field protection support to KWS at a time when there is a significant reduction in tourism mainstream revenue as a result of Covid-19.

Ongoing effects of the pandemic:

Protecting the TCA is challenging. The impacts of Covid-19 are devastating, particularly for vulnerable communities with no resilience to these impacts and where social welfare and healthcare is lacking. This is the situation facing many of the communities surrounding the TCA, where poverty levels are as high as 87%. 

Loss of jobs and mainstream income from tourism has had a “knock-on effect” towards wildlife security. We have seen a significant increase in bushmeat. In 2020, Tsavo Trust/KWS recovered over 1,477kg of bushmeat. This is the highest on record for 1 given year since TT operations began in 2013.

TT implemented significant cost cutting strategies in April 2020 (currently on Phase 4) to daily operations, due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and consequently our operating capacity has reduced by 26%. Funding from the WRC has provided significant support to our rangers and to their families during these uncertain times.

How support in 2021 could help:

With support form the WRC 2021, TT will continue to support community rangers in the TCA that provide:

1. Vital field support to KWS in the fight against illegal wildlife crime, poaching for bushmeat/ivory/horns, illegal snaring etc. 2021 figures so far: 18 arrests, 236 snares recovered, 116kg of bushmeat recovered and much more.

2. Vital support to communities that border onto the Tsavo National Parks including human-wildlife conflict mitigation. So far in 2021, these teams have driven over 1000 elephants out of the Kamungi Conservancy and surrounding environs that border onto the northern boundary of Tsavo West National Park.

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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.

Main photo courtesy of Tsavo Trust