African Parks

24/08/2026

In a landscape as vast as Boma National Park in South Sudan, aerial wildlife surveys are one of the most practical and accurate ways to establish the presence and numbers of wildlife species in a given area.

Flights over areas that have not previously been explored in detail can also yield surprises, such as a recent spotting of a sitatunga – the first recorded sighting of this species in Boma National Park since the management partnership between African Parks and the Government of South Sudan began in 2022. The fact that elephant, buffalo, shoebill, hippo, hartebeest, and lion were also seen speaks to the biodiversity of Boma, while the presence of many young animals is a cause for optimism about the growth in numbers of individual species.

While Boma National Park forms part of the backdrop to the Great Nile Migration, more sedentary wildlife populations are just as important in terms of the integrity of the ecosystem. Conservation flights over Boma National are made possible by the support of African Parks’ partners in South Sudan (including the South Sudan’s Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Edith McBean, The Elephant Crisis Fund, the European Union, Fondation Segré, The Lion Recovery Fund, Mike and Georgia Michelson, the Rainforest Trust, and The Wyss Foundation) and are enabling fresh perspectives on this wilderness region and the animals that live there.

20/08/2026

Collaborating with WWF and Wildlife ACT for Black Rhino Recovery

Rhino monitors from Liwonde National Park in Malawi and Friends of Akagera National Park in Rwanda recently came together for refresher training in collaboration with WWF South Africa’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) and Wildlife ACT.

Led by Wildlife ACT’s Species Conservation Director, Anel Swart, and Ursina Rusch of BRREP, the training brought together 19 participants for field monitoring and classroom sessions.

Drawing on the monitors’ own experience, the course covered VHF tracking, monitoring ethics, data collection, body condition assessments, camera trapping, and safety and behaviour during patrols.

Refresher training like this helps maintain consistent monitoring standards across borders and supports the long-term data collection that underpins black rhino recovery.

Thank you to WWF South Africa’s BRREP and Wildlife ACT for the collaboration.

17/08/2026

Zakaria Ibet Abderamane has a clear view on how his work supports conservation: “When people eat well and leave happy, that’s fine by me. That’s what matters. I cook. And that’s part of protecting the park, in my own way,” he explains. In his role as head chef for Parc National de Siniaka Minia in Chad, Zakaria provides breakfast, lunch and dinner for field operatives and guests. The same energy that powers him through long days in the kitchen also fuelled his self-taught journey from seasonal worker to where he is today. Zakaria’s responsibilities include all aspects of managing the food offering, such as ordering supplies and ensuring cleanliness. His story is an example of how the many roles within African Parks ultimately contribute to landscape conservation.

14/08/2026

Two ten-day sampling expeditions in Friends of Akagera National Park have substantially expanded scientific knowledge of Rwanda’s ant diversity.

Researchers recorded 187 species across the park’s savannahs, woodlands, and wetlands. Of these, 149 had never previously been recorded in Rwanda, while at least 17 were identified as potentially undescribed species. The findings increased the number of ant species known from the country from 105 to 292.

Published in African Entomology, the study provides the first scientific baseline for ant diversity in Akagera. As ants respond to changes in habitat and climate, continued monitoring could offer valuable insight into the condition of the park’s ecosystems over time.

Led by the University of Rwanda and supported by scientists and institutions from across Africa and Europe, the research also created opportunities for early-career researchers to gain practical experience in collection, identification, and taxonomy. African Parks and Akagera National Park supported the study through co-authorship, permits, and field logistics.

Discover what 20 days in Akagera revealed: https://bit.ly/4wra4Ei

13/08/2026

In addition to its role as a protected Congo Basin landscape, Parc National Odzala - Kokoua is establishing itself as a hub of conservation innovation and knowledge sharing, and enabling collaborations locally, nationally and internationally.

Effective conservation requires a science-based, data-driven approach, with input from expert partners. Odzala is supporting effective, sustainable protected area management by bringing together conservation teams from elsewhere in Africa (including protected landscapes that are part of the African Parks incubator programme) for constructive dialogue and idea-sharing.

Recent workshops have focused on gorilla habituation (a key pillar of conservation and ecotourism in Odzala-Kokoua). The curated combination of theory and immersive fieldwork is designed to build capacity and expose attendees to different approaches to gorilla research, including looking at ways to better integrate research with ecotourism. Engagement opportunities around data collection, analysis and informed operational and management decisions are another way that Odzala is adding value.

"The visit from the Conkouati-Douli National Park and Nyungwe National Park teams was an amazing exchange experience as we were able to show them the gorilla habituation context in Odzala, a rainforest landscape. It is especially interesting as Nyungwe has chimpanzees and has focused their habituation programme on that species. The Nyungwe team shared pointers on habituation techniques for a programme intended for tourism, and the opportunity to publish more about our work. As Conkouati-Douli doesn't have a habituation programme, our exchanges were focused on the research aspect; both teams are really interested in exchanging ideas about our nest degradation survey as well as gorilla health monitoring,” explained Gloire Bitelemono, the Research Assistant leading the Gorilla Habituation Team in Odzala.

Fieldwork experiences combine research with park management, with participation in ongoing gorilla habituation and observing wildlife at bais (marshy clearings in the forest).
Odzala-Kokoua has also been at the forefront of efforts to create a more structured and collaborative approach to scientific research, including the granting of research permits for protected areas. By seeking to harmonise and standardise procedures in this area, the discussions taking place in Odzala are bringing clarity and cohesion to this system.

These initiatives are running in parallel with an assessment of Odzala-Kokoua as a potential long-term Congo Basin research platform. The aim is to establish a 20-year, integrated programme that will adopt a holistic approach to studying the Odzala-Kokoua landscape, covering aspects as diverse as carbon monitoring and the illegal wildlife trade. This will also create training opportunities for Congolese scientists.

Odzala is invaluable as a biodiversity hotspot; by serving as a venue for collaboration, knowledge sharing and establishing research and management best practice, the park can add further value as a research epicentre.

12/08/2026

There are currently 23 elephant fitted with satellite tracking collars in Zambia’s Kafue National Park, and their collars have already generated 75,825 location fixes or data points in 2026. Over 39,000 km of elephant movement have been recorded this year alone, helping researchers and conservationists to build up a more detailed picture of how elephant traverse the Greater Kafue Landscape and the corridors they rely on. As we mark World Elephant Day, you can read the full story in our latest blog: https://bit.ly/4clt8wD

12/08/2026

10/08/2026

A lion’s range does not end at a park boundary.

In Zakouma National Park, Chad, northern lions move across vast areas in search of prey, sometimes bringing them into contact with local herders. Slightly smaller and less heavily maned than lions in eastern and southern Africa, they belong to a Critically Endangered subspecies found across West and Central Africa.

This World Lion Day, discover how research, community collaboration and long-term support from partners, including the Lion Recovery Fund, are helping to better understand their movements, reduce conflict and conserve their future.

Learn more in our latest blog: https://bit.ly/4wRTlLF

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1 Marcus Westberg Photography
2-3 Matt Todd

07/08/2026

Educational, authentic and inspiring, a new animated story has the potential to transform how people in Chad see their country.

Communities near protected areas in Chad have been sharing their cultural and natural heritage with a visiting Chadian artist as part of a conservation awareness project. Through the power of storytelling, this project is bringing people’s experiences of daily life, wildlife encounters and life in and around conservation areas to new audiences.

Multidisciplinary artist Salma Khalil Alio is weaving together strands of memory, imagination and belief to create an original comic-style film that will amplify voices and inspire engagement – especially with the young people who will be tomorrow’s conservation leaders.

Salma Khalil’s work focuses on the importance of heritage and of beliefs and traditions being passed down through the generations – all of which makes her the ideal curator for people’s narratives. Her artistic journey for this current project included time in the Réserve Naturelle et Culturelle de l’Ennedi, Zakouma National Park and Parc National de Siniaka Minia and the Aouk-Keïta Landscape.

Gathering together stories from across Chad has given Salma Khalil a deep well of experience and memory from which to draw as she creates the animated story. Once finished, it will be filled with local narratives, characters, animals and the cultural realities of Chadian life, alongside clear biodiversity and landscape conservation messages. Conveying a sense of place and a feeling of belonging, this will be a story by and about the people of Chad and their experiences as custodians of their natural and cultural heritage.

This community engagement project is closely aligned with Salma Khalil’s goal of promoting Chadian culture through combining art, education, and collective memory.

06/08/2026

O nosso Relatório Anual de 2025 já está disponível em português. Comemorando 25 anos de impacto coletivo, este relatório explora os progressos e as parcerias que impulsionam a nossa missão em toda a África.

Leia as histórias do terreno: https://bit.ly/4cilmU7

English

Our 2025 Annual Report is now available in Portuguese. Celebrating 25 years of collective impact, this report explores the progress and partnerships that drive our mission across Africa. Read the stories from the field: https://bit.ly/4cilmU7