RSF 100% funded the construction of Soraya Station in Sumatra’s Leuser National Forest. This forest is of particular conservation importance because it is home to many endangered species including tigers, elephants, rhinos, orangutans, and bears. Soraya station acts as an outpost for international researchers and as a base of operations for anti-poaching rangers who actively arrest poachers, destroy snares, halt illegal logging, and stop the encroachment of palm oil plantations into the forest. RSF helps pay ranger salaries and delivers equipment to the jungle outpost. RSF support has helped reduce poaching in the area by more than 90%.

RSF has helped purchase private palm oil farms in key locations along the banks of the Alas River in Sumatra. These farms are being placed into a land trust and their environmentally unfriendly crops are being cut down and replaced with native vegetation, increasing the amount of viable habitat for endangered species.

Ongoing support to livestock guarding dog projects is helping mitigate conflict between wild predators and local farmers. By training dogs to protect livestock, farmers’ losses to predators like cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas are greatly reduced. This reduces the farmer’s desire to exterminate the predators living on his property, which ultimately results in a successful sharing of land by both farmer and predator.

By providing scientific equipment, infrastructure, and funding to doctors in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the RSF is helping to protect the world’s last 900 mountain gorillas. The biggest threat to gorillas at this point is not poaching but their biological similarity and proximity to humans, resulting in the contraction of diseases. By monitoring the health of gorillas and increasing the overall health of humans and livestock surrounding the national park, this threat has been greatly reduced.

The RSF has provided surveillance equipment, including drones and camera traps, to rangers within Uganda’s national park service. This equipment has helped reduce poaching, illegal logging, and illegal grazing of livestock within five of Uganda’s national parks.

By providing field equipment to wildlife rangers in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Kibale National Park, RSF is promoting the effectiveness of the rangers’ work in saving both chimpanzees and gorillas. This equipment includes tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses, rain gear, rubber boots, binoculars, GPS units, canteens, compasses, watches, digital camera, fleeces, backpacks, multi-tools, etc.

RSF has partnered with local villagers in the Rwenzori region of Uganda to help protect wild chimpanzees. RSF has provided equipment for rangers patrolling the mountainous park, as well as equipment for community outreach programs and sustainable farming techniques.

RSF has provided equipment to the community group in Kalinzu National Forest for the protection of the local population of chimpanzees. Support has included the provision of field gear, a vehicle for transport of rangers, and their first ever uniforms.

Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, India, Thailand