Yankari Game Reserve Team
Yankari Game Reserve - Wildlife Conservation Society is raising money for Tusk Trust
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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 80 rangers and an estimated 800 livelihoods in and around the Yankari Game Reserve in Nigeria.
The role of rangers:
Yankari Game Reserve contains Nigeria’s largest elephant population and is one of the country’s most famous tourism destinations. Unfortunately, as a result of being poached for their ivory, the elephant population declined dramatically from around 350 individuals in 2006 to roughly 100-150 today. WCS has provided support to Yankari since 2009. Bauchi State Government and WCS signed a co-management agreement in 2014 for WCS to take management of all ranger patrols. There has been no elephant poaching recorded since May 2015.
How your donation will help:
Bauchi State Government is responsible for the payment of all Yankari ranger salaries, but the payment is frequently late. As of 13 July they have not yet been paid June salary. We have been able to secure additional funding sources to sustain current anti-poaching efforts, however.
Effects of the pandemic:
Essential anti-poaching patrols have been maintained in Yankari since then but non-essential activities such as school visits have been suspended. The reserve was initially closed to visitors but has since reopened. Movements of WCS staff in and out of the reserve have been restricted.
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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.