Safeguarding Africa’s wildlife and those who protect it 

Since 2017, IUCN Save Our Species and the European Union have joined forces through the SOS African Wildlife Initiative (AWI) to halt the decline of Africa’s most threatened large carnivores, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs and the Ethiopian wolf, while supporting the people who live alongside them.

Working with local and civil society partners across priority landscapes, SOS AWI supports targeted conservation action to protect carnivore populations and their habitats, reduce human–wildlife conflict, combat poaching and wildlife trafficking, and strengthen law enforcement. At the same time, the initiative empowers communities to play a central role in conservation through inclusive, nature-positive livelihood solutions that enable people and wildlife to coexist across protected areas, buffer zones and surrounding productive landscapes.

Running from 2017 to 2027, the initiative is funded by the European Union and implemented by IUCN Save Our Species, in collaboration with national governments, research institutions, and local NGOs. Together, these partners are helping to ensure that Africa’s carnivores continue to thrive in the wild, as keystone species essential for balanced ecosystems. 

Why this matters 

Africa is home to some of the world’s richest biodiversity, supporting iconic wildlife, vital ecosystems, and millions of people whose livelihoods and well-being depend on nature. From regulating prey populations to maintaining healthy, resilient landscapes, large carnivores play a critical role as keystone species within these systems.

Yet Africa’s wildlife is under unprecedented pressure. Since 1970, monitored vertebrate populations have declined dramatically, driven by habitat loss and degradation, unsustainable resource use, poaching and illegal wildlife trade, human–wildlife conflict, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. These threats endanger not only carnivores and their prey, but also the ecosystem services that underpin food security, water supply, climate resilience, and local economies.

SOS AWI responds to this challenge by supporting locally led conservation action aimed to halt the decline of Africa’s iconic carnivores and their prey across Sub-Saharan Africa. By empowering civil society organisations and working in partnership with governments, researchers, and local communities, AWI helps conserve species, safeguard ecosystems, and strengthen livelihoods, ensuring that Africa’s carnivores can continue to thrive in the wild and support healthy ecosystems for generations to come.

Our impact in numbers 

Our approach 

The African Wildlife Initiative builds on a people-centred, science-based approach that integrates: 

• Species: We create the conditions necessary for species populations to increase, thrive, and naturally recolonise their habitats.

• Habitat: We aim to improve the management of protected and conserved areas, restore degraded ecosystems and enhance connectivity of critical species habitats.

• People: We involve local people in conservation action. By supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities to develop sustainable or alternative livelihoods and practices, we empower nature’s stewards to coexist with wildlife and ensure the conservation of species and ecosystems.

How we work 

• Building partnerships: Collaborating with private, public, and multilateral partners to develop targeted species conservation initiatives where they are most urgently required.

• Strengthening civil society: Enhancing the capacity of civil society organisations by providing access to institutional scientific knowledge, expertise and tools and facilitating direct and indirect training and networking opportunities.

• Advancing knowledge: Developing a robust evidence base to inform conservation policies and approaches for sustainable outcomes.

• Supporting science-based conservation actions: Implementing impactful projects to conserve threatened species and their habitats and support communities that rely on them.

• Supporting policy implementation: Assisting governments in translating ambitious global biodiversity policies into tangible local actions that contribute to biodiversity and species protection, climate resilience, and community well-being.

This integrated approach ensures that the programme not only delivers measurable conservation results but also builds long-term capacity and resilience across conservation stakeholders.

Featured publication: Tackling emerging conservation threats in Africa (2021–2024) 

Country reports 

Stories from the field 

Conservation is driven by people. Through our “Voices from the Wild” video series, meet the local organisations working across Africa to protect species and restore ecosystems. Each short film highlights a unique conservation story, from rangers safeguarding elephants in Kenya to botanists rescuing the world’s rarest cycads in South Africa. 

Make a difference

Help us bring threatened species back from the brink of extinction. Make a difference by donating today.

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