Enduring

Africa’s lion populations have undergone a major loss in the last two decades. According to IUCN data, the lion's population numbers have decreased 42 percent in just 21 years, and threats continue to mount.As habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching continue to threaten the big cat’s existence, it’s become more important than ever to closely track this oftentimes-elusive species.

Poaching and the unsustainable hunting of wildlife threaten biodiversity and the long-term viability of Africa’s ecosystems. Many species are also hunted for bush meat, affecting the continued survival of those key populations. It is estimated that the national value of the bush meat trade, widely practiced in sub-Saharan Africa, ranges from US $42 million to US $205 million across countries in West and Central Africa.

With a plethora of endemic species of birds, mammals and plants, there’s no other place on Earth quite like Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains National Park. The protected area encompasses more than 400 sq. km of mountains in the northern part of the country, including Ras Dejen, one of the highest peaks in all of Africa. It’s also the East African nation’s only natural World Heritage Site.

We at AWF strive to be a bold, innovative organization. For example, at first hint of a wildlife trafficking crisis on the African continent a few years ago, AWF acted quickly to implement an emergency species grants program that would maximize the impact of your investment across the continent.

We believe in a continuously evolving and multi-dimensional approach to conservation, ensuring we stay as unique as the African continent on which we work. Our new mission and visual identity proudly reflect AWF’s commitment to wildlife and wild lands as an integral part of Africa’s vibrant future.

With 2017 upon us, we wanted to take a moment and reflect on the triumphs and challenges of the year gone by. Below, three of AWF’s top conservationists share their thoughts on our biggest moments from 2016.

Earlier this month the Great Elephant Census released its final, troubling results. The population survey revealed a 30 percent decline in Africa’s savanna elephant population between 2007 and 2014.

The African continent is home to some of the world’s most amazing wildlife and natural wonders. Yet rural communities see little value in their wildlife neighbors, as growth in human population and changing climatic conditions place increasing strain on the continent’s natural resources.

To some African communities, the presence of wildlife is perceived as a threat to their livelihoods. Elephants are crop eating, water tank tipping nuisances. Lions are cattle attacking predators. Routine chores involve the added danger of stumbling upon a hippo or crocodile at the riverbank.

To others, where there is wildlife, they see opportunity. For many African nations, tourism is one of the fastest-growing economic sectors. In fact, Tanzania’s earnings topped 1.88 billion US Dollars in 2013, superseding gold as their number one foreign exchange earner.

In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a terrible epidemic of poaching in Africa. That’s when AWF did our “Only Elephants Should Wear Ivory” campaign, and we found a way to slam the brakes on this poaching.