Grant: African Parks and Pendjari National Park

Wyss Foundation Announces a Recent Grant to African Parks

The Wyss Foundation is excited to announce that its recent grant to African Parks has led to a long-term agreement with the Presidency of the Republic of Benin to manage Pendjari National Park. The Park, which covers over a million acres of land and includes adjoining hunting zones, is arguably the largest remaining intact natural ecosystem in the whole of West Africa.

The Wyss Foundation, along with several other donors, provided the initial funds that will allow African Parks to implement a 10-year action plan. The plan includes provisions to: secure the park through effective law enforcement and ranger recruitment and training, conserve and monitor key wildlife species, develop and manage sustainable tourism, and work with local communities. Overall goals of the partnership include doubling wildlife populations, increasing tourism by 50%, and creating as many as 400 new jobs over the next ten years.

The Wyss Foundation is proud to support African Parks. With the addition of Pendjari National Park, African Parks will now manage a total of 11 parks, comprising over 16 million acres in eight countries.

For more information, please go to: https://www.african-parks.org/newsroom/press-releases/a-major-agreement-to-revitalise-the-last-large-wildlife-reserve-in-west-and-central-africa