The Wildlands Conservation Trust in KwaZulu-Natal has been awarded $2 million (about R34 million) in emergency relief funding by the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a non-profit fund raising initiative, to make up for the financial loss suffered as a result of COVID-19.
‘Wildlands is incredibly grateful for this funding as the work we do has been hampered greatly by the pandemic. Our rangers rely on these salaries to support their families and by ensuring that we have funds for their salaries means that our collective wildlife and its sustainability are covered,’ said Wildtrust CEO, Roelie Kloppers, according to Tourism Update.
This funding will specifically go towards the anti-poaching unit.
The Wildlife Ranger Challenge is a combined effort from various organisations partnering to host a virtual ‘race’ on October 3 where participants can virtually walk or run 5, 10 or 21 km with more than 200 wildlife rangers across Africa.
‘Rangers across Africa are enduring drastic cuts in salaries and resources due to the devastating economic impact of Covid-19, leaving their families destitute and wildlife unprotected,’ they say on their website.
‘Ranger teams are uniting around the Wildlife Ranger Challenge to raise money to help thousands of their colleagues, enabling them to support themselves and their communities and to protect iconic African wildlife such as elephants, pangolins, rhinos, and lions.’
Rangers risk their safety to protect vulnerable species, including EDGE animals! The Wildlife Ranger challenge is supporting over 7,000 rangers in Africa who are enduring cuts in salaries & resources due to COVID-19. Learn more: https://t.co/gGgXf9s34z #ForWildlifeRangers pic.twitter.com/pEJI043HL0
— On The EDGE Conservation (@OTEConservation) August 4, 2020
The Scheinberg Relief Fund wants to amplify ‘your impact to bring thousands of frontline wildlife rangers back to the field,’ and will match all donations made.
To learn more, click here.
Image credit: Twitter
