Wildlife rangers unite to raise funds for struggling industry

Published Oct 14, 2020

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CAPE TOWN - 1000 African Parks rangers took part in a 21-kilometre running race to raise funds for the struggling industry throughout the continent.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism industry was hit the hardest throughout Africa with many taking on campaigns and initiatives to help raise funds and ease the financial pinch.

To help alleviate the financial stress the Wildlife Ranger Challenge was set up in hopes to raise funds and assist conservational parks throughout the continent and called for all wildlife rangers and parks to unite.



"Covid-19 has brought tourism revenues across Africa to a halt, leaving a huge deficit in conservation funding. Wildlife Rangers are now uniting around the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a race with one goal: to raise money to support thousands of rangers and protect iconic African wildlife such as elephants, pangolins, rhinos, and lions," it says on the challenge's website.

African Parks, a non-profit conservation organisation that manages 19 national parks and protected areas covering over 14.2 million hectares in 11 African countries that work closely with governments and local communities, saw 1 000 of its wildlife rangers taking part in the challenge and in just one day, collectively covered a distance of 21,000 km

2 which is twice the length of the African continent.

The Wildlife Ranger Challenge is a fundraising initiative by the partnerships of Tusk and NATURAL STATE supported by the Scheinberg Relief Fund with the challenge aiming to support wildlife rangers during these trying times who face a limit of resources and critical gear to continue their essential work of conserving and protecting wildlife and wildlife parks by providing them with many other important pieces of equipment too, such as water filters, first aid kits and light packs.

All funds raised until the end of October will be given towards the essential ranger kits that will help around 1 000 rangers with essential gear and equipment.

If you would like to donate to the cause and assist the struggling industry please visit https://wildliferangerchallenge.org/

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