NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 21 — Africa needs more than 345,000 wildlife rangers to effectively safeguard its protected areas but currently has only about 65,000, conservation organisations have warned as the continent’s largest annual wildlife ranger campaign gets underway.The warning came as the seventh Wildlife Ranger Challenge officially launched on Monday, celebrating a milestone of raising more than US$25 million since its inception in 2020 while highlighting the severe shortage of frontline conservation personnel across Africa.Over the next two months, more than 150 ranger teams from over 20 African countries will compete in a series of physical, mental and technical challenges before culminating in the annual 21-kilometre Wildlife Ranger Challenge on September 19.More than 2,000 rangers are expected to participate simultaneously across Africa’s protected landscapes.Organised by conservation charity Tusk and the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA), the initiative was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep ranger operations running amid funding cuts. It has since grown into Africa’s largest annual campaign dedicated to supporting wildlife rangers through fundraising and public awareness.The campaign’s organisers say the fundraising milestone is significant but masks a much larger crisis.Despite protecting globally important ecosystems and endangered wildlife, Africa’s ranger workforce remains critically understaffed and under-resourced.According to Tusk, the continent requires approximately 345,000 terrestrial and marine rangers to manage its protected and conserved areas effectively—more than five times the current workforce of around 65,000.At the same time, the risks facing rangers continue to escalate as they confront organised wildlife crime, armed conflicts, expanding human settlements around conservation areas and the growing impacts of climate change.Many also continue working without adequate protective equipment, insurance, training or welfare support.“Reaching $25 million is an extraordinary achievement and a tribute to thousands of people who have backed wildlife rangers over the past six years. But it should not leave us thinking the job is done,” said Charlie Mayhew, President and CEO of Tusk.“Rangers remain one of conservation’s most under-recognised workforces. Every day they protect wildlife, support local communities, respond to emergencies and help safeguard landscapes that benefit us all. The Wildlife Ranger Challenge exists because they deserve greater investment, greater recognition and greater support.”The initiative has also helped drive broader reforms in ranger welfare.Its success contributed to the launch of the Ranger Welfare Standards Initiative in 2024, which has already enabled nearly 6,300 rangers to obtain insurance coverage, with a target of reaching 10,000 by 2030.Conservation leaders say the role of wildlife rangers has expanded well beyond anti-poaching patrols.Today, rangers monitor biodiversity, collect scientific data, respond to emergencies, reduce human-wildlife conflict, educate communities and contribute to stability in remote and often insecure regions.“Rangers don’t ask for recognition; they simply get on with their work as essential planetary health workers, protecting nature and ecosystems, often in incredibly challenging circumstances,” said Louise de Bruin, CEO of the Game Rangers Association of Africa.“The Wildlife Ranger Challenge is an opportunity for the world to stand in solidarity with Africa’s rangers, investing in their safety, wellbeing and future, and ensuring they have the protection and support they deserve.”Among those participating this year is Pius Mutuma Mbiria of Kenya’s Mount Kenya Trust, who said stronger support for rangers directly translates into better conservation outcomes.“Supporting rangers means we can protect the ecosystems that communities rely on more efficiently, with adequate resources and motivation despite the many challenges we face,” he said.In neighbouring Tanzania, Cristian Kapugi, a village game scout with Honeyguide working in the Waga Wildlife Management Area, described the challenge as an opportunity to showcase the resilience required in conservation.“The Challenge tests us physically and mentally, and it reminds people that conservation work requires endurance, courage and discipline,” he said.The campaign is backed by founding donor Mark Scheinberg, who is match-funding US$1 million, alongside partners including the Disney Conservation Fund, EJF Philanthropies and Defender.Organisers said every dollar raised through the campaign goes directly to participating ranger organisations to improve ranger welfare, purchase equipment, strengthen training and deploy technology needed to protect wildlife and the communities living alongside Africa’s protected areas.