How you can help save Africa's wildlife

The halting of safaris is harming wildlife – but we can help from home, says Richard Madden

The aftershock of Sir David Attenborough’s devastating Extinction: The Facts on BBC One last weekend is still being felt by many. One in eight species on Earth is threatened with extinction, while the world’s vertebrate population (mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles) has plunged 60 per cent since 1970.

And now Covid-19 has thrown another grenade into the conflagration. Before the pandemic struck, the African safari industry was booming. In financial terms it was estimated to be worth £9.6 billion a year. In human terms it employed around 3.6 million people, directly and indirectly. In conservation terms it was priceless.

The story today is very different. Bookings have declined by around 75 per cent, with calamitous impacts on humans and wildlife. Even as lockdown eases across parts of Africa, most lodges are empty of guests and poaching is on the rise.

The Game Ranger Association of Africa estimates that there are between 40,000 and 50,000 rangers in Africa – and the vast majority have had their salary reduced by 50 to 80 per cent. Unease in rural communities hit by the pandemic is fuelling poaching for bushmeat by families struggling to feed themselves, as well as to supply the insatiable Asian market trading in ivory, rhino horn and other animal body parts.

Perhaps the most heart-wrenching poaching story is of the death of Rafiki, the 25-year-old silverback leader of the Nkuringo group of 17 mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi National Park. Until recently, they generated much-needed tourism revenue. There are fears that coronavirus is deadly to the gorillas, so Bwindi rangers now wear face masks, use hand sanitiser, and keep their distance from the animals.

“Poaching actually declined during the first few months of lockdown,” says Map Ives, a bush guide and former director of Rhino Conservation, Botswana, which oversaw a rise in rhino numbers in the Okavango Delta. “However, poaching returned to crisis proportions in June and July.”

He believes the reason for the lull was that weapons and poached body parts were impossible to move because of lockdown restrictions, and the price of rhino horn and ivory briefly plunged as Asian economies faltered. “Now that Asian economies are returning to normal, buyers are out and about again,” he says.

In response, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks has taken the decision to move many of the rhinos, as the Delta’s watery terrain makes it hard for security forces to operate. “The cost of keeping our teams in the Okavango is rising fast,” says Ives, “and may not be sustainable in the long run.”

An upsurge in poaching for bushmeat has been caused by local communities being plunged into poverty. “There has been an increase in subsistence hunting with dogs and snares for bushmeat in some areas surrounding our reserves,” says Inge Kotze, head of conservation at Singita, a five-star safari operator with lodges in Zimbabwe, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania.

So how can poaching be stopped? Deborah Kemp-White, of Lankester White Safaris, thinks collaboration between international governments is key. “Countries have unwieldy protocols that slow down any reaction across borders,” she says. Poachers, by comparison, “do not have to write letters of permission or respect protocols. They grab an inflatable mattress, float across the water and wreak havoc with new equipment supplied by criminal networks.”

On the plus side, southern Africa’s most prolific wildlife trafficking gang was recently prosecuted in Malawi. Its nine members were sentenced to a total of more than 50 years in prison.

Beks Ndlovu, of African Bush Camps, says the company is doing everything it can to support staff and anti-poaching rangers, who are role models in their communities. “But funding for anti-poaching units has been severely affected by lack of tourism fees and donations from tourists,” he adds.

Dr Neil Midlane, group sustainability manager at Wilderness Safaris, believes poaching will increase. “We are only a few months into reduced income for people who rely on tourism for their livelihoods, yet we are seeing a huge increase in food insecurity,” he says. “We expect this to drive demand for illegal bushmeat, with antelope, zebra and giraffe targeted through wire snaring.

“We’re contributing essential aid such as food, water and sanitation to communities suffering as a result of the pandemic, but we are running on limited resources. Donations from safari-goers will make a huge difference.”

How you can help

Tour operators are urging those who booked a safari before lockdown to postpone rather than cancel. Ensuring the survival of the industry helps fund relief for local communities and anti-poaching rangers. If you do cancel, or if you have saved money by not travelling, consider donating to these local conservation and fundraising initiatives.

Wildlife Ranger Challenge – Run with Rangers

On Oct 3, 50 ranger teams across Africa will compete in a half marathon carrying a 55lb backpack to raise awareness of the hardship they face every day. Supporters around the world will be encouraged to “Run with Rangers” by taking part in a virtual five, 10 or 21km run and raising sponsorship.

This multi-million-pound initiative will help support anti-poaching rangers whose salaries and resources have been reduced by the pandemic. The Ranger Fund is supported by the Scheinberg Relief Fund, the Challenge’s founding donor, which has committed $5 million (£3.9 million) in support of rangers with the goal of raising $10 million.

NGOs Tusk, Natural State, Global Wildlife Conservation, the Game Rangers Association of Africa, The Thin Green Line, For Rangers, and the International Ranger Federation have partnered with teams to launch the pan-African challenge. wildliferangerchallenge.org

Walk Luangwa

A 17-day, 220-mile walk by ranger Nick Riddin, along Zambia’s Luangwa river valley, is aiming to raise £200,000 to support wildlife protectors and remote local communities. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/walkluangwa2020

Tusk

With the Duke of Cambridge as its royal patron since 2005, Tusk has more than 30 years’ experience initiating and funding conservation across Africa, including the Wildlife Ranger Challenge. More than 50 per cent of its financial support goes to local communities. tusk.org

Wilderness Wildlife Trust

The Trust funds projects addressing the needs of wildlife populations in countries across Sub- Saharan Africa, protecting endangered species and providing education and training for communities. wildernesstrust.com/donate

Singita Conservation

Singita, the five-star lodge company, works with three NGO conservation partners who manage effective community and biodiversity projects in SA, Zimbabwe, Tanzania  and Rwanda. All the money goes straight to the cause of your choice. conservation.singita.com/how-to-help

Rhino Ark

This Kenyan conservation and anti-poaching charity supports local people. Rhino Charge, an off-road motor rally which started in 1989 and is its major fundraising event, has had to be cancelled, so support is urgently needed. rhinoark.org

Rhino Conservation Botswana

The initiative helps to protect wild black and white rhinos from the threat of extinction. rhinoconservationbotswana.com/donate

African Bush Camps

A wide range of conservation and community empowerment projects across Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia can be supported via the website below. africanbushcampsfoundation.org

Cottar’S Wildlife Conservation Trust

Cottar’s, the oldest safari company in Africa (established 1919), needs help to save Kenya’s Olderkesi Community Conservancy. Funds will be used to pay ranger salaries and provide rations, help local Maasai communities and protect 7,600 acres of habitat through a community land-lease fee programme. cottarswildlifeconservationtrust.org

Imvelo Safaris

Despite the drought in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, compounded by Covid-19 stalling tourism, Imvelo is determined to persevere with its conservation and community initiatives but urgently needs donations. imvelosafarilodges.com/hwange-needs-you.html

Kariega Foundation

In addition to its conservation work in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Kariega runs many collaborative projects with its neighbouring communities. During the last weekend of August, endurance athlete Jamie Marais cycled a vertical ascent of 29,500ft – the equivalent of Mount Everest – over 36 hours in Kariega Game Reserve to raise money for anti- poaching measures. You can still donate. kariega.co.za/jamierides4rhinos

Endangered Wildlife Trust

The Trust is dedicated to conserving threatened species and ecosystems in both eastern and southern Africa. ewt.org.za/donate