One of the greatest conservation challenges of our lifetime is Space for Species. In order for wildlife and all biodiversity to thrive, we need to ensure that we create protected areas that are safe and well-managed for wildlife and the ecosystems they call home.
Why is this so important? The survival of all life on earth is dependent on many factors, including biodiversity. Each species, including our own, relies on a healthy web of life. When species are lost, all the connections and relationships they share with other ecosystems and other species are also lost, creating what is akin to a gaping hole in the web of life. As more species fall threat to extinction, the weaker the web of life becomes, and the closer we hurtle towards biodiversity collapse – what scientists refer to as the Sixth Mass Extinction.
With the ever-expanding human population, suitable land for wildlife is diminishing. Within some protected parks in Africa, megafauna like elephants and rhinos are thriving.
However, they are thriving to the point of overpopulating certain parks. This means that they are consuming greater and greater amounts of vegetation which all other wildlife depend on, either directly or indirectly. This requires systemic change, innovative solutions and collaboration between like-minded organizations.
A humane solution to this challenge is translocation – the deliberate human-assisted movement of animals from one area to another for conservation purposes. But these translocations have an important requirement: protected areas that are safe, well-managed spaces for elephants, rhinos and other wildlife. These new conservation landscapes then serve as a new home for relocating scientifically determined numbers of elephants and rhinos from overpopulated parks. Another important element is selection of the megafauna according to their social structure to maintain their family bonds, so foundational to their society.
Such solutions have been identified! We are planning to help relocate a combined number of about 70 elephants and rhinos to safe habitats in Africa, where these majestic animals can thrive.
YOU CAN SUPPORT CRITICAL WILDLIFE TRANSLOCATIONS IN AFRICA!