Tusk USA
In December 2005 HRH Prince William chose Tusk as one of just two charities to which he is granting his Royal Patronage.
As the ever expanding human population and its demand for more land brings it into increasing and often disastrous conflict with wildlife, Tusk, with its project field partners such as the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, has been at the forefront of establishing and promoting community driven wildlife programmes. Tusk’s holistic approach to conservation recognises that the long term future for wildlife and Africa’s other natural resources is dependant on sustainable human development. Therefore a number of the charity’s initiatives incorporate valuable work to improve environmental education, security, healthcare, and responsible tourism. One such programme, the Northern Rangelands Trust, supported by Tusk has seen 1 million acres of community land recently come under a common conservation policy with initiatives that are directly benefiting 62,000 people and a significant wildlife population in northern Kenya.
Tusk strives to provide practical, logistical and financial support to a diverse range of projects. In the past this has included the purchase of vehicles, aircraft, radio equipment, as well as the construction of schools, water projects, roads, buildings, bridges and airstrips, as well as covering the direct costs of rangers. The charity enjoys a reputation for operating on low overheads with an average of 85% of the net funds raised reaching the field.
Tusk Trust's support comes in many different guises:
VEHICLES
Tusk donated a fleet of 4x4 vehicles with a complete mechanical workshop to aid
the rehabilitation of the vast Niassa Game Reserve in Mozambique. We
also provide vehicles for our projects in Tanzania,
Kenya and Botswana.
CLASSROOMS AND DORMITORIES
In Botswana Tusk provides valuable funds for a highly successful environmental
education centre at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, visited each year by over
12,000 children. Tusk also supports a number of primary schools in Kenya.
WILDLIFE & HUMAN CLINICS
Tusk supports the Mokolodi Education project in Botswana which has recently built a
wildlife rehabilitation clinic to treat animals both within and outside the
reserve. The Trust has also helped with the construction of a new Nurses
quarters for a clinic in Northern Kenya.
RHINO SANCTUARIES
The Mkomazi Project set up its black rhino breeding project with rhinos that
were imported from South
Africa. These are the first black rhino to
be rehabilitated into Tanzania.
Tusk Trust funds the security and communications system used by the game
guards, who monitor the rhinos on a daily basis.
10,000 ACRE CHEETAH SANCTUARY
Tusk Trust provided substantial funds for the construction of a new 10,000 acre
sanctuary for a Cheetah and Leopard rehabilitation project run by the Africat
Foundation in Namibia.
BUILDINGS
At Ruaha National
Park in Tanzania
financial support was given to build security outposts for the game rangers
around the park.
WATER TANKS
In the Virunga Mountains,
Rwanda,
Tusk provided funds to build three water tanks around the park to supply the
local communities with fresh water all the time. The park is home to the last
remaining Mountain Gorillas in the world, whose population is so small that if
they were to contract a human disease could wipe the population out.
CHIMPANZEE ENCLOSURES
Tusk was instrumental in the construction of two 500 acre outdoor enclosures
for the orphaned chimpanzees at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia. The
largest chimpanzee sanctuary in the world.
CORE FUNDING
The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya holds 25% of the worlds
Grevy's zebra and has a population of over 70 rhino, both black and white.
Success on this scale does not come cheap and Tusk supports Lewa on a yearly
basis, providing funds to cover the conservancy's core costs. These are used to
support the rhino monitoring game guards, allow the upkeep of staff housing and
ensure that the communications system can be kept up to date.
AEROPLANES
Tusk has funded the purchase of two light aircraft - A Cessna 206 for patrol
work in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania and a Maule for the 'Africat' leopard
& cheetah project in Namibia
where the aircraft is used to track collared lion, leopard and cheetah across
the country.
SAFARICOM MARATHON
Tusk is the co-organiser and creator of the Safaricom Marathon which is held
every year at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. This unique event, which is
regarded as one of the top ten toughest marathon in the world, enables the
local Maasai and Samburu communities to run against some of the world best
athletes as well as international fun runners, helping to raise funds for local
projects in Northern Kenya.
MARINE WILDLIFE
Tusk supports a unique marine wildldife project in Lamu, Kenya,
helping protect the Turtle nesting sites and educating local school children on
the benefits of conserving their local area.
GOODS & EQUIPMENT
Each year Tusk donates Military Boots, Webbing sets, Clothing and equipment for
the Rangers in the field.
