Uganda Conservation Foundation - Race Day Hub

2025 has been a challenging, rewarding, impactful and reflective year for Tusk, all in equal measure.

Our project partners continue to have a significant impact across Africa, striving to improve and tackle wildlife conservation in some of the most challenging areas and conditions.

Our latest round of funding is now on its way to an incredible 75 project partners encompassing 26 countries.

Through commitment, innovation, adaptability and determination, strides have been made to protect wildlife, ecosystems and entire communities across this biodiverse continent. And while these successes are recognised and celebrated, the underlying need to do more remains.

Here are some of the highlights from projects we support:

Liberian Sea Turtle Project (LSTP) and Association pour la protection des Tortues Marines de Maroc (ATOMM) have used community-based conservation initiatives to help reduce the threats to the marine turtle populations of Liberia and Morocco. Through community engagement, enhanced turtle monitoring and protection and community ownership of conservation measures both have reported reduced poaching, bycatch and exploitation of nesting areas.

In globally relevant news, 2025 saw the fantastic news that the green sea turtle’s status was downgraded from “Endangered” to “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List due to successful conservation efforts.

The Pangolin Project has made huge progress in 2025 towards the conservation and restoration of the Nyekweri Ecosystem, Kenya, where the world’s remaining population of Giant Ground Pangolin reside. The conservancy ranger team has become integral to the security of natural resources and conservation of other wildlife in the ecosystem. The 2026 Tusk Evolution Grant will be used to ensure the welfare of 10 of the rangers based at 2 critical posts in the area. This support includes salaries, health insurance, work based insurance against injury or death at work and a pension scheme.

The Chimpanzee Conservation Centre (CCC) has strengthened long-term conservation efforts in Haut Niger National Park (HNNP), Guinea. The project focuses on improving the capacity and effectiveness of rangers, expanding ecological surveillance through regular and mobile LAB patrols, and scaling up the CCC’s camera trap monitoring program into unmonitored zones. CCC has also continued the long-term tracking of reintroduced chimpanzees in the Mafou core area by upgrading staff field infrastructure and improving communication with the installation of a Starlink internet system.

Lower Zambezi National Park (LZNP) is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s last African elephant strongholds. Rapid human population growth in the and a history of poaching continue to threaten wildlife in the area. Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) operate specialised canine units, Rapid Deployment Team, and Community Scout Units to respond to poaching intelligence, disrupt trafficking, and intercept illegal trade. These efforts have reduced elephant poaching in an area that has been a key route for transboundary wildlife trafficking.

Lion Landscapes have continued their vital work to strengthen coexistence between people and large carnivores in Ruaha, Tanzaniua. Human–wildlife conflict remains a major threat, and while retaliatory killings have significantly declined, without continued intervention, these incidents are likely to rise again. Through community engagement and modern techniques such as location data from collared lions to warn pastoralists when lions are close to grazing areas Lion Landscapes continue to promote harmony.

The Zambian Carnivore Programme has continued to maintain intensive field-based protection initiatives, train, mentor, and empower the next generation of female Zambian conservation leaders through the Women in Wildlife Conservation Training Programme, and expand science-driven conservation, focusing on understanding the impacts of bushmeat poaching on wild dog populations.

Tusk Events

2025 has also seen a number of highly successful events, providing important fundraising opportunities and also improved awareness to the importance of conservation.

In May Trek-for-Tusk saw supporters taking to the beautiful South West Coast Path in Dorset. In June The Lewa Safari Marathon took place at one of Africa’s highest profile conservancies with 1000s of runners tackling the unforgiving terrain and altitude of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The summer saw the Tusk Turtle Trail takeover the streets of central London, with a staggering 690,000 trail map views over the course event and a successful auction night raising nearly £200,000 to conclude the trail. The Wildlife Ranger Challenge took place in early Autumn with ranger teams and supporters completing a range of training challenges, concluding in the continent-wide race day, in full ranger kit. 60 partner organisations took part covering 102 protected areas. And to bring the calendar to a close, Tusk’s Royal Patron, HRH Prince Wales, presented the winners of the Tusk Conservation Awards at the presentation night in November.

All of these events, campaigns and ongoing plans lead to one pressing conclusion, the need to carry on our mission to grow and improve biodiversity across Africa.

Thank you for your support, without your ongoing dedication we wouldn’t be able to carry on doing everything we can to accelerate African-driven conservation.

We must continue our efforts to protect nature and highlight the critical role that biodiversity plays in supporting all life on earth.Humanity thrives when nature is given the space to provide us with the clean air, water, and food that we all require. – HRH Prince of Wales, Tusk Royal Patron.