6 conservation projects in Africa that protect wildlife

A male lion resting in the tall grass. Photo credit: Susan McConnell

1. The Lionscape Coalition

A collaboration between the Lion Recovery Fund and five luxury eco-tourism operators, the Lionscape Coalition raises money to help protect and preserve areas across Africa where lions (a vulnerable species) are under threat due to human impact. 

2. Desert Elephant Conservation

The project, run by non-profit organisation Frontier, aims to minimise conflict and encourage co-existence between animals and humans. With the desert elephant’s population on the rise, there has been fierce competition for water sources in the area. To overcome this issue, volunteers are asked to help identify and secure new water bodies for the elephants, and track their movements across the desert to learn about their behaviour.

The Waterburg Wild Dogs are able to wander freely to encourage co-existence between their species and humans

3. Waterberg Wild Dogs

A conservation project run by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Waterberg Wild Dogs aims to protect the remaining free-roaming African wild dogs outside protected areas by negotiating their safe passage with local landowners – a privilege no other pack in South Africa enjoys.

4. The Balule Conservation Project

This volunteer-funded project gives participants the chance to assist with wildlife research, including collecting data on wildlife and vegetation while focusing primarily on elephants and predators, at the Balule Game Reserve within the Greater Kruger National Park.

Lion cubs playing amongst themselves. Photo credit: Jeremy Goss

5. Predator Conservation Fund

This project works to protect lions as well as other persecuted species such as hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs and jackals on the Maasai lands of Kenya. These predators are under constant threat from livestock owners, who see them as a danger, and are often killed in retaliation for livestock losses. With this fund, ranchers receive compensation for the livestock they’ve lost. As a result, retaliatory lion killing has drastically dropped. 

6. Seabird Rehabilitation

From oil spills to abandoned and injured chicks, the seabirds of South Africa are in constant need of protection and rescue. This project aims to rehabilitate and treat seabirds as well as conduct research to help benefit South African marine life. Volunteers will be tasked with the handling and feeding of the birds.
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SEE ALSO: From tigers to gorillas: Where to see animals in the wild
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