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. South Luangwa National Park’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!

---

Your contribution will help support 62 rangers and an estimated 530 livelihoods in and around the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. 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:

Rangers work tirelessly on a daily basis conducting anti-poaching patrols inside and outside the national park. Well-trained rangers are deployed on patrol from headquarters or are based at remote anti-poaching camps. Rangers help mitigate human wildlife conflict, an increasing problem in South Luangwa, and have been deployed to help Conservation South Luangwa's "chilli blasters" in deterring crop and property damaging elephants.  Rangers are also on call for anti-poaching aerial surveillance five days a week and assist in de-snaring and wildlife rescue activities with our wildlife rescue unit.

Impact that 2020 WRC had on Organisation & Rangers:

The Ranger Fund helped us to keep all of our rangers in full employment to conduct their critical anti-poaching work. In a year when all of our conservation efforts had the potential to become undone, elephant mortalities were reduced for the second consecutive year. Aerial support is an important component of our anti-poaching strategy to detect and deter poaching incidents, and we maintained this support throughout 2020. We also increased our anti-poaching patrols, continued our wildlife rescue work and maintained important human wildlife conflict mitigation programs.

Ongoing effects of the pandemic:

The South Luangwa Valley is Zambia’s premiere safari tourism destination.  Normally over a dozen established lodges and 20+ bush camps would be thriving at this time of year, and a very large local service sector is key to this lucrative and growing wildlife-based economy. 

This economy, ecosystem, and its dependent communities are still facing an uncertain future. With the continued collapse of global tourism and air-travel, many safari companies are struggling to operate. Virtually all conservation-related tourism funding streams for 2020 were lost, and 2021 looks similar.

1,000 safari employees are estimated to have been either laid-off or on drastically reduced wages, with large numbers of dependent family members. As communities are forced to turn to natural resources to survive, we are expecting an increase in bushmeat snaring and conflict. 

This remains a critical time and now more than ever before we need to ensure continued protection of this area.

How support in 2021 could help:

Wildlife protection and ranger support was extremely successful in 2020, and we achieved a large reduction in poaching. However, in 2021 we have already noticed an increase in poaching of elephant and other large game, this is likely due to the opening of borders and ease of transportation out of the country. Support from the 2021 WRC would be used to address this by maintaining ranger support and increasing anti-poaching efforts.

-----

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 CSL Zambia