Extended Network

Organization: African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization
Location: Cameroon

The mission of African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization is to contribute to the protection of the aquatic megafauna and their habitats in Central Africa by improving the scientific knowledge and involving fishers and other stakeholders into sustainable fisheries and responsible watershed-use. Aristide Takoukam Kamla, the President and founder of AMMCO, was a WCN Scholar and spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2018. Donate to support African manatees.

Organization: Reef Restoration Foundation
Location: Australia

Coral reef ecosystems are some of the largest living structures on the planet, and are subject to intense threats and decline. The cumulative effects of climate change, poor water quality, coastal development, and fishing weaken the resiliency of coral species and the vast number of marine species that depend on the biodiversity and health of corals to survive. WCN’s Coral Reef Granting Program is modeled after our Wildlife Funds and invests in organizations like Restoration Foundation to recover coral reefs in Australia. Restoration Foundation works to regenerate damaged coral reefs by establishing ocean-based coral nurseries. Learn more about their work here.

Organization: Wildlife Conservation Society-India
Location: India

The dhole, also known as the Asiatic wild dog, is a pack-living apex predator found in south and southeast Asia, currently threatened with endangerment. A recent IUCN Red List assessment suggests that there may be only 1,000–2,000 adult, mature dholes left in the wild. Despite its precarious status, the dhole remains one of the least studied carnivore in the world. WCS-India’s Dhole Project is led by Arjun Srivathsa, an Indian wildlife biologist and 2015 WCN scholar that spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2018. Learn more about dholes.

Organization: MareCet
Location: Malaysia

MareCet is the first and only non-profit NGO in Malaysia that is dedicated solely to the research and conservation of marine mammals in Malaysia. Established in 2012, MareCet strives to protect marine mammals and their fragile habitats, provide a platform for building local conservation leadership talent, work with stakeholders to optimize conservation outcomes for all involved, and promote ocean stewardship within society at large in Malaysia. Dr. Louisa Shobhini Ponnampalam, Executive Director and Co-Founder of MareCet, spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2019 and 2020, along with their Langkawi Dolphin Research Project Leader, Sandra Teoh, who was also a WCN Scholar in 2020. Donate to support their work on dolphins, dugongs, and even whales.

Organization: Somali Giraffe Project
Location: Kenya and Somalia

Somali Giraffe Project
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) elevated the reticulated giraffe, also known as the Somali giraffe, from “Vulnerable” to “Endangered” in 2018, reflecting a population decline of some 80% over the previous 30 years, mainly due to habitat degradation and poaching. The Somali Giraffe Project, led by The Hirola Conservation Program, is dedicated to saving the reticulated giraffe in areas along the Kenya-Somalia border, where they are working closely with indigenous communities, addressing ecological knowledge gaps and threats to provide a road map for their recovery in this conflict stricken region. Donate to support giraffes via The Hirola Conservation Program.

Organization: Yellowstone Forever
Location: United States

The Yellowstone Wolf Project involved the reintroduction and restoration of grey wolves to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone National Park encompasses 2,221,766 acres of protected wilderness, home to a diverse sample of wildlife, geological marvels, and hydrothermal wonders. Dr. Doug Smith, a Senior Wildlife Biologist in Yellowstone National Park, responsible for supervising their wolf, bird, and elk programs, spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2020. Donate to support grey wolves.

Organization: Peregrine Fund
Location: Panama

Harpy Eagles are the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. These commanding birds swoop through the rain forests of Latin America, routinely picking up prey weighing more than 15 pounds—and sometimes equal to their own weight. The largest known population of Harpy Eagles in Central America is found in Darien Province, Panama, where The Peregrine Fund collaborates with local NGO, Fundación Rapaces y Bosques de Panamá, led by José de Jesús Vargas González. Donate to support Harpy Eagles via The Peregrine Fund, specifically selecting your gift to support Harpy Eagle.

Organization: Hirola Conservation Program
Location: Kenya

Hirola, one of the world’s rarest antelope, have large tawny bodies and dark glands under their eyes used to mark their territory. With a global population size of fewer than 500, they face many threats such as habitat loss, competition with livestock and predation. In the same rangeland, the Somali giraffe’s population has declined by 80% since the 1980s. The Hirola Conservation Program (HCP), an indigenous led, non-profit organization, is restoring critical habitat, addressing threats such as poaching, diseases, and infrastructural development to conserve both of these magnificent species in eastern Kenya. HCP’s founder and Executive Director, Dr. Abdullahi Ali, presented at WCN’s Expo in 2021. Donate to support their work on hirola.

Organization: Rewilding Chile
Location: Chile

The world’s southernmost deer, the huemul is endemic to Andean Patagonia and its population has been reduced to roughly 1,500 individuals in total, representing only 1% of the species’ historic numbers. An iconic animal that is featured on Chile’s national shield, the huemul, or “South Andean deer,” requires intensive monitoring and protection to avoid extinction. Rewildling Chile is working to establish the National Huemul Corridor through National Park’s creation, ecological restoration, and promoting a culture of conservation within local communities to ensure this species’ protection and prosperity. Donate to support huemul in Chile.

Organization: Rewildling Argentina
Location: Argentina

The jaguar has been nearly driven to extinction in Argentina, with less than 200 individuals surviving in isolated pockets across the country. Taking quick action, Rewilding Argentina is working to recover the jaguar population with innovative approaches, including the first time in the world that a a captive female breeds with a wild male. The long-term vision is a jaguar corridor and restored ecosystem across a network of four national parks: Baritú, Iguazú, El Impenetrable, and Iberá. Donate to support jaguars in Argentina via Tompkins Conservation.

Organization: Science for Wildlife
Location: Australia

Science for Wildlife uses the best available science and technology in the field to protect vulnerable Australian wildlife, including Koalas in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. They bridge the gap between research and conservation to implement effective protective measures on the ground where they really count. Science for Wildlife has been rehabilitating injured and displaced koalas, releasing them back to safe wild habitat, and setting up water and food stations so that koalas and other affected wildlife are able to avoid dehydration and starvation in the wake of Australia’s devastating bushfires. Dr. Kellie Leigh, Science for Wildlife’s Executive Director, spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2020. Donate to support koalas.

Organization: HUTAN – Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project
Location: Malaysia

In 1998, HUTAN together with the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) established Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project (KOCP) to carry out orangutan research and conservation in the lower Kinabatangan region and in Sabah. Since then, the organization has grown to include working on other wildlife issues, and with local communities to address human-wildlife conflict and alternative livelihoods. HUTAN spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2007, 2009, and again in 2019. Donate to support orangutans.

Organization: Save Pangolins
Location: Africa, Asia
WCN’s strategic partner on pangolins

Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked mammals in the world. WCN is committed to supporting pangolin conservation, launching the Pangolin Crisis Fund with partner Save Pangolins to significantly boost conservation efforts. The Pangolin Crisis Fund shares the core principles of WCN’s Wildlife Funds, investing in the best ideas from all institutions to stop the poaching, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand for pangolin scales and meat. Donate to support pangolins.

Organization: Polar Bears International
Location: Arctic

Polar Bear International (PBI) works to conserve polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. Through media, science, and policy advocacy, PBI works to inspire people to care about polar bears, the Arctic, the threats to its future, and the connection between this remote region and our global climate. PBI’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Steven C. Amstrup, and Senior Director of Conservation, Geoff York, spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2014, 2016, and 2020. Donate to support polar bears.

Organization: Saola Working Group
Location: Laos and Vietnam

The Saola Working Group (SWG) was formed in 2006 in recognition of the need for urgent, coordinated action to save the saola from extinction. The saola is one of the rarest large animals on earth and has been known to science only since 1992. It is found only in the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam, one of the most beautiful and endangered ecosystems on earth. SWG spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2010, 2012, and 2015. Donate to support saola.

Organization: Sea Sense
Location: Tanzania

Sea Sense is an NGO that works closely with coastal communities in Tanzania to conserve and protect endangered marine wildlife, including sea turtles, dugongs, whales, dolphins, and whale sharks. These species and their habitats face a very uncertain future, mostly due to human activities in coastal zones. Sea Sense has recruited and trained a network of over 60 Conservation Officers to act as ambassadors in their villages and serve as a vital link between Sea Sense and the wider community. Activities focus on research and conservation, education and capacity development, sustainable livelihoods, and governance and leadership. Sea Sense projects are specifically designed to address the root causes of the degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems. Sea Sense presented at WCN’s Fall Expo in 2021. Donate to support their work on sea turtles.

Organization: Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON)
Location: Nigeria

Bats are the only mammals in the world that can fly. Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON) is an NGO in Nigeria that conducts ecological and conservation research to drive programs that protect and restore endangered species habitat and halt extinctions. SMACON monitors wild populations, facilitates enforcement against illegal wildlife extraction, and influences government policy based on evidence from the field. SMACON was launched to address the lack of conservation focus on small mammals, such as bats. While based in Nigeria, SMACON’s research and capacity building efforts extend across West Africa. SMACON presented at WCN’s Fall Expo in 2021. Donate to support their work for bats in Nigeria.

Organization: Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre
Location: Malaysia

The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) is the only sun bear conservation centre in the world. Malayan sun bears are the smallest bears in the world and are only found in Southeast Asia. These bears continue to be threatened by forest degradation, illegal hunting for bear parts and poaching to obtain young cubs for pet trade. BSBCC was founded in Sabah, Malaysia in 2008 to provide care and rehabilitation to rescued sun bears and to increase awareness of sun bears internationally. Dr. (Hon) Wong Siew Te, CEO and Founder of BSBCC, spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2008 and 2020. Donate to support sun bears.

Organization: WCS-Russia Siberian Tiger Project
Location: Russia

Approximately 350-400 adult Siberian or Amur tigers are left in the wild, with 95% of these individuals inhabiting the forests of the Russian Far East, where they play a critical role in both the ecosystem and local culture. WCS-Russia’s Siberian Tiger Project collects the best possible scientific information on tiger ecology for use in conservation plans and addresses tiger-human conflicts. Dr. Dale Miquelle, the Country Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Russia Program, spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2011. Learn more about Siberian tigers in Russia.

Organization: Tiger Research and Conservation Trust
Location: Papua India

The wild tiger is an ambassador for the ecosystems it occupies. Without its presence, the delicate balance of nature is disrupted. Over the last century, global wild tiger populations have suffered a severe decline, now making them one of the most endangered big cats in the world. Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT) was founded in 2001 in India to focus on the conservation of wild tigers and their habitat. They believe in working at the grassroots level with local communities and the managers and policy makers of Central India’s forests to implement peaceful and continued cohabitation. This also protects other large carnivores in buffer forests and forested corridors. TRACT presented at WCN’s Fall Expo in 2021. Donate to support their work on tigers.

Organization: Tenkile Conservation Alliance
Location: Papua New Guinea

The population of Tenkile tree kangaroos could have been as low as 100 individuals in 2001, when the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA) was established with the goal to protect their habitats in Papua New Guinea by improving local rainforest communities’ access to health, education, poverty relief, and cultural protection. Jim Thomas, TCA’s Chief Executive Officer, spoke at WCN’s Expo in 2009 and 2014. Donate to support tree kangaroos.