Unlike in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, the contribution of wildlife conservation and management to the improvement of local livelihoods and poverty alleviation in the Central and West Africa region has been limited. Games are scarce in open habitat areas of Central and West Africa limiting the prospects of tourism for wildlife viewing or the lucrative sport hunting. In addition, the importance of wildlife population outside formally protected areas has been largely overlooked in Central and West Africa.

ACDEF is working with wildlife authorities and non governmental organisations in Central and West Africa to raise the profile of wildlife both inside and outside protected areas for protection, tourism, research and sport hunting. We are initially targeting charismatic species in greater need of conservation attention. These include, but are not limited to the Great Apes such as the gorilla, the chimpanzee and bonobos; elephants and the large carnivores (lion, leopard, cheetah) whose numbers have plummeted in the Central and West Africa landscape in recent years. We are also working to establish or improve basic infrastructure in protected areas to support protection, tourism, research and sport hunting.

Please visit our Wildlife Conservation and Management projects portfolio and let us share your thoughts and how you can help.