Together Defender and Tusk are forging a path to ensure the preservation of some of our world’s most precious wildlife and landscapes. With almost 20 years of collaboration, Defender has been an invaluable partner to Tusk, with their support enabling annual grants to leading conservationists across Africa, as well as many of our key initiatives, including the Lewa Safari Marathon, and more recently the Wildlife Ranger Challenge.  When the Tusk Conservation Awards were launched in 2013, they became a natural partner and enthusiastically agreed to become the generous sponsor of the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, which celebrates and supports the work of an emerging leader in conservation in Africa. They’ve continued to sponsor the award ever since. 

In 2024, Defender’s generous support has been enhanced through a new 5-year agreement that will see 10 new defenders supplied to our project partners working in the field, starting with our partners at Vulpro, Save the Rhino Trust and Wild Entrust. This new approach enables Defender and Tusk to work hand-in-hand to deliver progressive and inclusive community-driven solutions to protect biodiversity and endangered species across the African continent.