Dogs are great assets for anti-poaching units across Africa, becoming involved in three key ways: as trackers dogs (such as bloodhounds, bloodhounds x Dobermanns or foxhounds) used to follow scent from a crime scene or detected incursion; as sniffer or detection dogs (Labradors, springer spaniels and cocker spaniels) to search locations such as houses or cars; and as attack dogs (such as Belgian Malinois) used to incapacitate a criminal’s weapon-holding arm to facilitate a safe arrest. Grants support training, workshops, handlers’ salaries and canine husbandry needs.
The AfRSG is the leading scientific authority on African rhino conservation and population data. As a non-partisan organization guided by evidence and experience, the group works to identify the biggest threats to rhinos and the most effective strategies to combat them – ensuring conservation efforts are unified and impactful. Grants to the AfRSG help pay for the Secretariat, meetings, workshops and Pachyderm, an international, peer-reviewed journal, which focuses on African elephant and African and Asian rhino conservation and management in the wild.
With fewer than 80 Sumatran rhinos remaining, urgent action is needed to save the species from extinction. The SRS is a semi-wild facility that currently houses 10 rhinos, providing round-the-clock care for one of the species’ few breeding populations. Since 2012, the sanctuary has celebrated five births, offering hope for the future of Sumatran rhinos: Andatu (born in 2012 to Ratu), Delilah (born in 2016 to Ratu), Sedah Mirah (born in 2022 to Rosa), Indra (born in 2023 to Delilah) and Anggi (born in 2023 to Ratu). Grants support the SRS’s ongoing operating costs.
Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP) in Indonesia is home to the world’s last remaining Javan rhinos, with fewer than 80 individuals left. Conservation efforts focus on anti-poaching patrols, habitat restoration, and monitoring to track rhino health and behavior. To support population growth, experts are also exploring potential new habitats outside the Park. Grants support rhino monitoring patrols, whose work is assisted by camera-trap; footage and stills from these are used to identify individual animals and to build information about their distribution throughout the Park.
The APLRS is mandated by the Kenya Wildlife Service to represent the interest of the private and community sectors involved in the conservation of rhinos on non-state land. Its main roles are to coordinate security (anti-poaching) efforts between the Members, and to provide biological management of their rhino populations to achieve maximum growth and genetic diversity, thus contributing to the Recovery & Action Plan for the Black Rhino in Kenya 2022-26. Grants support the salary of the APLRS Administrator.
Borana Conservancy is a 32,000-acre conservation area in Laikipia County. Borana aims to protect threatened species as a part of a sustainable ecosystem where a holistic approach, involving business activities such as wildlife tourism and pastoralism, contributes to thriving communities and wildlife habitats. One of Africa’s newest rhino conservancies, Borana is also one of its most successful. In 2022, Borana Conservancy launched Mazingira Yetu (“Our environment” in KiSwahili), a conservation education program serving the communities surrounding the Conservancy.
ForRangers is a campaign focused on improving the living and working conditions of rangers. By improving rangers’ welfare, they will be safer, happier, more effective and ultimately less likely to help poaching syndicates out of desperation. Grants made via the ForRangers initiative support: medical care (including clinic or hospital cover, life insurance); uniforms and wellbeing (e.g. gym equipment, entertainment, motivational trips); equipment (law enforcement and wildlife monitoring); living standards (accommodation, ablutions blocks, mess and kitchens); training (e.g. First Aid, fitness).
The primary goal of this new organization is to double the Eastern black rhino population in Kenya by 2037, with an interim goal of 1,450 rhinos by 2030, ensuring the subspecies’ long-term survival. This involves creating new, secure habitats, promoting natural reproduction, and connecting existing rhino populations. Most recently, Loisaba Conservancy (2024) and Segera Rhino Sanctuary (2025) have now become rhino guardians. The project relies on close collaboration between private and community sectors and the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Established in 1980, Ol Jogi Conservancy is one of the oldest conservancies in Kenya’s Laikipia region and a vital refuge for the Eastern black rhino. It boasts one of the country’s most successful rhino breeding programs, playing a significant role in replenishing areas where rhino populations have declined. As a member of the Association of Private and community Land Rhino Sanctuaries (APLRS), Ol Jogi collaborates with neighboring conservancies to ensure the safety and health of its rhino population. Grants focus on rhino protection and monitoring, as well as ranger welfare.
Sera Conservancy, located in Kenya, is a vital sanctuary for the Critically Endangered black rhino, dedicated to ensuring their protection and survival. As a community-run conservancy, Sera empowers local communities to take an active role in conservation, integrating wildlife protection with sustainable livelihoods. Through robust anti-poaching efforts and habitat management, Sera has successfully increased its black rhino population, showcasing the positive impact of community engagement in conservation. Grants focus on supporting the rhino monitors’ salaries, rations and uniforms.
Namibia is home to the second-largest population of rhinos in the world and serves as a crucial stronghold for the South-western black rhino subspecies. The MEFT plays a vital role in implementing a nationwide strategy for rhino protection, which includes effective biological management and protection. Recent efforts by the MEFT have significantly contributed to the growth of Namibia’s rhino population, showcasing the effectiveness of comprehensive conservation strategies. Grants support annual rhino dehorning operations, retrievals and translocations.
Founded in 1982, SRT is dedicated to monitoring and protecting the unique desert-adapted black rhino in Namibia’s Kunene and Erongo Regions. This vast and rugged wilderness is home to the last truly wild population of any rhino species, representing the largest group to exist outside national parks or reserves. SRT’s pioneering efforts, in collaboration with the government and local communities, have successfully contributed to the steady growth of the black rhino population in the area. Grants for SRT help pay for trackers’ salaries and rations, vehicle support and mounted patrol unit costs.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), located in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, is one of Africa’s oldest protected areas and holds important population of both white and black rhinos. Unfortunately, it has been severely impacted by poaching, making it one of the most affected areas outside of Kruger National Park since the crisis began. Grants for HiP have paid for an enhanced rhino monitoring program, with the data then used to inform management decisions, for aerial surveillance, the canine unit, and support for ranger welfare, including uniforms, camping equipment and rations, vehicle support, and repairs to accommodation.
Our “follow the money” initiative, in partnership with KPMG South Africa, investigates the financial flows associated with organized crime networks. By tracing these financial transactions, we gain insights into the complex criminal groups involved in illegal wildlife trade, allowing us to disrupt their activities and make a tangible impact on the ground. This collaboration with KPMG, together with the South African Police Service and National Prosecuting Authority, is leading to the prosecution of key individuals connected to wildlife crime and other serious transnational offenses.
uMkhuze Game Reserve (MGR), located in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal, is a vital sanctuary for South Africa’s indigenous black rhinos. uMkhuze’s black rhino population is one of two original populations in KwaZulu-Natal, making their protection a top priority, and has supplied surplus animals for restocking other areas in KZN, South Africa and further afield (e.g. Liwonde National Park in Malawi). Grants support the salary of the dedicated rhino monitor, aerial surveillance, ranger uniforms, vehicle repairs and maintenance, and improvements to rangers’ accommodation.
The Rhino Resource Center (RRC) is a dedicated platform that serves as a hub for information and resources related to rhino conservation. It aims to support researchers, conservationists, and organizations by providing access to a comprehensive collection of scientific literature, data, and best practices concerning rhino species. The RRC plays a crucial role in promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, helping to enhance conservation strategies and efforts. Grants support the launch of the new website (2025) and the ongoing addition of literature and references.
North Luangwa Conservation Project (NLCP) is a vital initiative focused on protecting and conserving the region’s black rhino population and their habitat. This program operates in the North Luangwa National Park, an area known for its rich biodiversity and significant wildlife corridors, and in the Game Management Areas surrounding the Park, to foster sustainable conservation practices and enhance wildlife protection. Grants support salaries for Village Game Scouts, training, incentives for excellent performance, vehicle fuel and maintenance, aerial surveillance, and conservation education.
Zimbabwe is home to the world’s fourth-largest black rhino population, following South Africa, Namibia, and Kenya. Based in Bubye Valley Conservancy, the LRT is dedicated to increasing both black and white rhino numbers and expanding their range in the Lowveld region. From the outset, LRT has placed emphasis on developing large populations (>100 rhinos in each) that achieve high breeding rates and maximum genetic diversity, within areas of suitable habitat that show long-term economic viability in their wildlife-based land-use. Grants support the costs of rhino monitoring.