DSWF’s Big Give Christmas Challenge: Doubling Your Impact to Combat the Evolving Threats Facing Africa’s Wildlife

Africa’s endangered species are under mounting pressure from a rapidly changing landscape with threats that go far beyond the likes of poaching and trafficking.

Across Africa, intensifying human impacts—ranging from explosive population growth and habitat loss to climate change, and the commercialisation of wildlife, are accelerating the risk of extinction for countless species. The natural spaces these animals rely on is being fragmented and destroyed at alarming rates due to land conversion for agriculture, urban expansion, and infrastructure projects that isolate species into smaller, disconnected habitats. Habitat is now one of the foremost threats facing endangered wildlife. At DSWF, we work closely with ground-based partners across Africa to tackle these challenges head-on. Our collaborative approach helps conserve over 178,000 km² of vital habitats each year, including crucial forest, grassland, and wetland ecosystems. These landscapes are essential not only for supporting wildlife populations but also for global carbon sequestration, playing a key role in mitigating climate change.

Species like rhinos, painted dogs, elephants, and pangolins are not only battling sophisticated poaching networks, but also struggling with climate-related water scarcity, human-wildlife conflict, and habitat isolation. Droughts across South and East Africa, once a generational event, now recur every two to three years due to the rapidly changing climate. This erratic weather intensifies resource scarcity and heightens the chances of conflict between humans and wildlife, placing additional stress on already vulnerable populations. Through field partnerships, DSWF strengthens legal frameworks to prioritise IUCN Red List species and develops local, context-specific solutions that empower communities to protect the wildlife they live alongside. We support sustainable livelihood programs that reduce communities’ reliance on environmentally destructive activities while increasing their income potential. Additionally, our field partners are on the frontline of the climate crisis, working to adapt and strengthen conservation strategies in response to volatile weather patterns that affect people and wildlife alike.

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation — Image credit Nicholas Dyer

The illegal bushmeat trade adds another layer of urgency to conservation efforts, posing a threat not only to wildlife populations but also to ecosystem health and global public safety. This unregulated trade drives a cycle of overexploitation, which destabilises biodiversity and disrupts ecosystems. DSWF works alongside traditional law enforcement to reduce poaching and trafficking while supporting communities through education and awareness programs, which foster a sustainable connection between people and wildlife.

By supporting DSWF through the Big Give Christmas Challenge, you’ll help us strengthen on-the-ground conservation efforts and address the complex and evolving challenges facing wildlife across Africa. This December 3-10, your donation will be matched, allowing us to make twice the impact in our work to secure a future where both people and wildlife can thrive. Together, we can help stabilise critical populations, restore habitats, and build a resilient foundation for a future where Africa’s wildlife can flourish.

Join us in celebrating the spirit of giving by marking your calendars for this opportunity to make a lasting difference. Every donation counts—and with your help, we can drive real change for the world’s most vulnerable species.

Please remember that only donations made through the Big Give website are doubled. You can find the link here.

One donation. Twice the impact