24 Jul 2026

Africa's largest co-ordinated annual
fundraising campaign for wildlife rangers was launched on Tuesday in
Nairobi, Kenya, amid growing recognition of the key role they played in
safeguarding the continent's game resources, and need to adequately
equip them for the daunting task.
Over US$25 million has been raised in donations since the campaign was
started in 2020, but conservation groups warn that the continent, with a
combined total of 65,000 rangers deployed, is grossly under-staffed for
the critical wildlife conservation task at hand.
Ideally, they say, Africa required 345,000 rangers to effectively
protect its wildlife, and protected areas.
The seventh Wildlife Ranger Challenge, organised by conservation charity
Tusk and the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA), brought together
more than 2,000 rangers from over 150 teams across more than 20 African
countries in two months of physical and mental competitions before a
continent-wide 21-kilometre race on September 19.
The campaign, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to help sustain
ranger operations, has evolved into Africa's biggest annual celebration
of frontline conservation workers while raising funds for ranger
welfare, equipment, training and technology.
The Nairobi meeting comes as African governments and conservation
organisations face mounting pressure to strengthen ranger forces amid
rising wildlife crime, expanding human settlements, climate change and
increasing conflicts between people and wildlife.
Zimbabwe, home to some of Africa's largest elephant populations, has
also intensified efforts to professionalise and equip wildlife rangers
through the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks),
community-based scouts under the Communal Areas Management Programme For
Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) programme and partnerships with
conservation organisations operating in areas such as Hwange, Mana
Pools, Gonarezhou, the Mid-Zambezi Valley and the Zambezi landscape.
In a statement, Tusk President and Chief Executive Officer, Charlie
Mayhew said reaching the fundraising milestone of more than US25 million
not only reflected growing global recognition of rangers' work but also
underscored the scale of the remaining challenge.
"Reaching US$25 million is an extraordinary achievement and a tribute to
thousands of people who have backed wildlife rangers over the past six
years," Mayhew said. "But it should not leave us thinking the job is
done. Rangers remain one of conservation's most under-recognised
workforces."
Mayhew said rangers protect wildlife, support local communities, respond
to emergencies and safeguard ecosystems that provide environmental and
economic benefits far beyond protected areas.
The Game Rangers Association of Africa also said ranger duties now
extend well beyond anti-poaching patrols to include biodiversity
monitoring, scientific data collection, firefighting, disaster response,
environmental education and reducing human-wildlife conflict.
"Our rangers don't ask for recognition; they simply get on with their
work as essential planetary health workers, protecting nature and
ecosystems under incredibly challenging circumstances," GRAA Chief
Executive Officer Louise de Bruin said. "The Wildlife Ranger Challenge
allows the world to stand in solidarity with Africa's rangers by
investing in their safety, wellbeing and future."
Organisers said many rangers continue to operate with inadequate
equipment, limited training and little or no insurance despite
confronting armed poachers, organised wildlife trafficking networks and
growing security threats.
The challenges also helped inspire the Ranger Welfare Standards
Initiative, launched in 2024 to improve working conditions across
Africa. The initiative has already enabled nearly 6,300 rangers to
obtain insurance coverage and aims to reach 10,000 by 2030.
Kenyan ranger Pius Mutuma Mbiria of Mount Kenya Trust said stronger
investment would improve conservation outcomes and community
livelihoods.
"Supporting rangers means we can protect ecosystems that communities
rely on more efficiently, with adequate resources and motivation despite
these challenges," he said.
Zimbabwe has increasingly recognised the role of rangers and community
wildlife scouts in protecting globally significant populations of
elephants, lions, black rhinos and other threatened species while
reducing human-wildlife conflict in areas such as Hwange, Mbire,
Nyaminyami and Gonarezhou. Conservation partners have also expanded the
use of Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking, aerial surveillance,
Spatial Monitoring And Reporting Tool patrol systems and community
intelligence networks to strengthen wildlife protection and improve
ranger safety.
The 2026 Wildlife Ranger Challenge is supported by founding donor Mark
Scheinberg, who is match-funding US$1 million, together with the Disney
Conservation Fund, EJF Philanthropies and Defender. Organisers said all
proceeds will go directly to participating ranger organisations to
finance welfare, equipment, training and technology that enhance
wildlife protection and support communities living alongside protected
areas.
New Ziana