The Species We Work With

Africa has over 400 known endangered wildlife species. Other threatened wildlife are categorized as priority species, as they have a high ecological impact. Below are the 8 wildlife species that Wildlife ACT focuses on protecting.

Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)

Major Threats

Retaliatory killings, habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, poorly regulated hunting, incidental snaring, and persecution due to mistaken identity or misattributed livestock losses.

Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)

Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus Leadbeateri)

Major Threats

Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, persecution due to mistaken beliefs, secondary poisoning, electrocution from power lines, and reduced breeding success due to loss of suitable nesting sites.

Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus Leadbeateri)

Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata)

Major Threats

Illegal trade of shells, harvesting of eggs and meat, entanglement in fishing gear, ingestion of marine debris, habitat loss of nesting and foraging areas, climate change impacts on nesting beaches, and coastal development.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata)

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Major Threats

Habitat loss and human encroachment on migratory routes, human-elephant conflict (particularly crop raiding and property damage), illegal hunting for ivory and bushmeat, overpopulation in fenced reserves leading to habitat degradation, and isolation from neighbouring populations reducing gene flow.

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

Major Threats

Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, disease transmission from domestic animals, snaring, persecution, and road mortality.

African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

Rhinoceros

Major Threats

Poaching for their horns, limited habitat for range expansion, genetic bottlenecks in isolated populations, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and human-wildlife conflict.

Rhinoceros

Vultures

Major Threats

Poisoning, collisions and electrocutions from energy infrastructure, habitat loss, disturbance during breeding, reduced availability of safe food, and ingestion of toxic veterinary drugs or lead fragments.

Vultures

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Major Threats

Habitat fragmentation and loss of ecological corridors, retaliatory killings following livestock predation, snaring and illegal trapping in bushmeat and poaching networks, poor regulation and illegal trade in Leopard skins and body parts, genetic isolation due to fenced reserves and population fragmentation, and insufficient data to inform population-level conservation policies.

Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Major Threats

Habitat loss and fragmentation, genetic isolation within fenced reserves, persecution and human-wildlife conflict, juvenile mortality from larger predators, and risk of poaching and illegal wildlife trade.

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

African Lion (Panthera leo)

Major Threats

Habitat loss and fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, prey depletion, poaching and illegal trade in body parts, disease outbreaks, and genetic isolation in small or fenced populations.

African Lion (Panthera leo)