The park’s buffalo population, reduced to about 220 animals in 1986, now numbers over 10,000. 18 black rhino have also been brought to Akagera, and the law enforcement teams have been overhauled, reducing poaching to an all time low. In 2003, African Parks, a conservation NGO that specialises in managing remote parks in Africa, took over management of the reserve, and within two years, the elephant poaching crisis was entirely halted.

The Beggs also involve the local communities through outreach and education programs, mitigating the threats of human–wildlife conflict, as well as mentoring and training local conservationists. The local people are compensated fully for the loss of their livestock, and with compensation in place, lion killing dropped immediately by 90 percent. All the areas have seen a major reduction in poaching, wildlife trafficking and tribal conflicts … The real conservation battles in Africa are fought on the ground, every day, with passion, focus, and practical execution. The trust – a community led NGO made up of local leaders, politicians and conservation partners – overseas some 33 member conservancies across 44,000 square kilometers of northern and coastal Kenya. LEO Africa is a wildlife monitoring, conservation and sustainable living volunteer project based in a section of the Marakele National Park, South Africa. Fish stocks plummeting! In response, the Big Life Foundation started the Predator Compensation Fund to protect not only the lion, but also leopard, cheetah, hyena and jackal. We understand specific community needs and work closely with members to make sure they get direct benefits from conserving wildlife and protecting natural habitat. With such a barrage of less-than-positive stories about African wildlife in the press, it can be hard to know what to believe. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date with all events coming straight in your mailbox: Africa is renowned for its diverse and abundant wildlife and unrivaled National Parks, game reserves and vast wilderness areas.

The only way to protect our planet is through long-term and sustainable actions. Other species in the park are also increasing in number, including giraffe, roan antelope and Lelwel’s hartebeest. In addition, tourism revenue has increased more than 300% in a six-year period (from $350K in 2010 to $1.4M in 2016), much of which goes back into community development projects. In response, the Big Life Foundation started the, Choose a destination, pick your lodges and we’ll do the rest, Answer a few simple questions to get instant trip recommendations, help manage the park and restore the wildlife, Top Safari Destinations to see the Big Five, Africa’s Most Beautifully Designed Safari Lodges, Top 10 conservation experiences: South Africa, The Ultimate Guide to Help you Plan a Safari, What did our travellers get up to in 2017. If you have relevant conservation experience or qualifications, or are looking for a project for an elective, or as part of your studies then please get in touch. In a tragic event this year, conservationist Wayne Lotter was killed in the Masaki district of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. In 2015, lion were reintroduced and the population doubled with the birth of 11 cubs in 2016. After all, there’s a myriad of NGOs, charities and businesses claiming to be making a big difference, and asking for your support. But there are also some organisations that are great at shouting about problems and raising money, but don’t always execute on what they promise. window.tgpQueue.add('tgpli-5f6b46b640174'). This is a particular problem in the area north of Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya, and in 2003, there were less than 10 lion still alive in the area. They often know very little about the wilderness in their home … The Wildlife Conservation Training Program is focused on giving students and volunteers the experience necessary to be able to work on a wildlife reserve while making an active difference in the future of key African species. : 509 588 BLZ: 330 500 00 IBAN: DE02 3305 0000 0000 5095 88 BIC: WUPSDE33.

They are generally based in some of the most unspoilt and stunning natural areas in Africa and they get you behind the scenes of places that tourists will often pay large amounts of money to visit on holiday. Today, there is a healthy lion population in the area, and a similar program has been introduced in two bordering communities, resulting in a one-million acre corridor for lion to move around in relative safety. Try our trip wizard to find your dream trip.