Vision and Goals
Our Elephant and Wildlife Rescue Unit is dedicated to saving injured elephants and other wildlife in Uganda’s national parks, providing urgent veterinary care to animals harmed by poaching snares and other threats. By focusing on rescue, rehabilitation and long-term protection, the project helps ensure a future where elephants and other keystone species continue to thrive as vital pillars of their ecosystems.
Our goals include responding as quickly as possible to elephants or other wildlife in distress, minimizing risks and providing critical care when it’s needed most. We aim to employ the best veterinary protocols to treat injured animals, supporting their safe recovery and release back into the wild. Following treatment, we continue to monitor each animal, tracking its recovery and movements with a focus on overall well-being and successful reintegration into its natural habitat.
Partners
Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa works in partnership with Uganda Conservation Foundation to support the Uganda Wildlife Authority in its long-standing mission to conserve Uganda’s natural heritage.
Uganda Conservation Foundation plays a key role in implementing ground-level conservation programs that combine community engagement, ranger support and habitat restoration.
Uganda Wildlife Authority leads wildlife protection efforts across Uganda’s national parks and reserves, including law enforcement, anti-poaching and habitat management.
Project in Action
Poaching snares pose a significant threat to wildlife in Uganda’s protected areas, especially in Murchison Falls National Park. While intended for smaller animals like warthog or antelope, these traps are indiscriminate and frequently harm elephants, lions, giraffes and other species.
The Elephant and Wildlife Rescue Unit provides rapid on-the-ground response and expert veterinary care to animals caught in snares or affected by other human-wildlife conflict incidents. Each rescued elephant is evaluated and, when necessary, fitted with a GPS collar to support post-treatment monitoring and data collection on their movements and recovery.
As a keystone species, elephants play a critical role in shaping ecosystems by maintaining biodiversity and fostering habitat growth. However, their population faces severe threats. Currently, African elephants are listed as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), highlighting the urgency of their plight. This status reflects the combination of pressures elephants face, including the loss of natural habitat due to human expansion, increasing conflict with communities as elephants enter farmland in search of food and the persistent threat of illegal poaching driven by the ivory trade.
Global Humane Conservation Fund of Africa is committed to addressing these challenges through targeted conservation efforts. By focusing on rescue, rehabilitation, and long-term protection, we aim to supporta future where elephants continue to thrive as vital pillars of our ecosystems.
