Our partner: Game Rangers International

Game Rangers International (GRI) is a non-profit organization registered in Zambia and the UK. Our mission is simple: “To Save Wildlife and Wild Spaces”. We achieve this mission by empowering Rangers and local communities to conserve nature. 

We maximize our impact by embracing a three-pronged holistic approach to conservation, including:

#1 Resource Protection

GRI's Resource Protection Programme empowers government and community Rangers to better secure Zambia's protected wildlife areas, via support to anti-poaching and firefighting teams. GRI supports operations with essential equipment and supplies, delivers training to ensure that Rangers have the skills to operate effectively and safely, and provides crucial welfare support for them and their families.

#2 Wildlife Rescue

GRI’s Wildlife Rescue Programme supports welfare provisions for Zambia’s wildlife. Our efforts began in 2008 with the establishment of GRI’s Elephant Orphanage Project, which remains our primary focus with an Elephant Nursery in Lusaka and a Release Facility in Kafue National Park, where the orphans are gradually reintegrated back into the wild.  In 2023, GRI merged with Zambia Primate Project to ensure primates impacted by humans, specifically in the illegal, domestic wildlife and bushmeat trade, are given a second chance for life back in the wild.

#3 Community Outreach

Long-term conservation can only be achieved if communities living around Protected Areas are fully educated, fully engaged, and fully able to experience the benefits of healthy and viable ecosystems. GRI’s Community Outreach Programme empowers local communities with access to information, livelihood security and the means to coexist peacefully with wildlife, enabling them to become active stakeholders and beneficiaries in wildlife conservation.

What is the philosophy behind Game Rangers International?

We believe that you cannot hope to save wildlife or wild spaces until you first save the men and women tasked with protecting it and the local communities living contiguous to it.

What programs/projects does GRl offer?

Game Rangers International offers three-week long volunteer placements on the frontline of conservation in Zambia. Volunteers are immersed in GRI's three pillars of conservation as they spend time at each of our remote bush camps. The placement begins in Lusaka National Park, supporting the rehabilitation of the orphaned elephants being cared for at the Nursery and our engaging education programmes at the Wildlife Discovery Centre.

Starting in Lusaka at the Elephant Nursery, to Musa Gate where our Special Anti-Poaching Unit headquarters are based, to Kafue Release Facility where the elephant orphans are finding their way back to the wild. The trip ends with a visit to the majestic Victoria Falls, for some well earned sight-seeing.

Previous successes of Game Rangers International

Game Rangers International (GRI) has secured USD$16 million for wildlife conservation, protecting 2 million hectares of wild space and empowering 300 Rangers. Conservation education has reached over 35,000 children. The Ranger-led Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU) has a strike rate three times higher than conventional units. To date, GRI has supported 25 wildlife species, released 17 rescued elephants and 31 primates back into the wild, empowered 250 vulnerable women with sustainable livelihoods, and apprehended 1,850 poachers and traffickers.

Other ways to get in touch with Game Rangers International

Support Game Rangers International (GRI) and help protect Zambia's wildlife in various impactful ways:

Adopt: Adopting an orphaned elephant or primate can significantly aid their journey back to the wild. For orphaned elephants, this journey can take up to 12 years, requiring constant care. For primates, it can take about a year, depending on their trauma. Your adoption helps support the Elephant Orphanage Project and Zambia Primate Project, ensuring these animals receive the care they need and preserving their habitats.

Events: Participate in or support our fundraising events to raise awareness and funds for wildlife conservation. Every year, GRI hosts numerous events, and we benefit from the generosity of supporters worldwide who organize their own events. You can get involved by joining our organized events, providing sponsorship or prizes, or hosting your own fundraiser.

Together, through adoption and event participation, you can make a real difference in protecting Zambia's wildlife and supporting GRI's conservation efforts.