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Africa represents “the last great redoubt of large wild creatures left on earth,” says author Peter Matthiessen. Africa’s wildlife endures largely because of the vastness and resilience of its extraordinary habitats.
Deserts
Northern Namibia’s Skeleton Coast National Park is named for countless shipwrecked sailors who perished in its dunes. Many uniquely adapted species, however, survive on wind-blown particles and precious moisture siphoned from sea fog.
Further inland, towering desert elephants, endemic black-faced impalas and endangered black rhinos inhabit Etosha National Park. The Nature Conservancy is working with partners to protect the critical wildlife corridor connecting the parks, while helping local communities establish sustainable ecotourism on their lands.
Click to learn more about Africa's Kunene Region >>
Forests
Home to majestic waterfalls, rare plants and a wondrous variety of wildlife, the tropical forests of East Africa's Rift Valley are of particular concern to the Conservancy.
At the turn of the 20th century, natural forests covered 30 percent of Kenya. Today, however, the country's forest cover has dwindled to slightly less than two percent. Increases in both urbanization and agricultural development, along with illegal logging, pose the greatest threats to the Rift Valley's tropical forests.
Click to learn more about the forests of East Africa >>
Grasslands
Nearly half the land surface of Africa is covered by some variety of savanna or grasslands. In the East African savannas, lions stalk their prey across grassy plains punctuated by scattered baobab and acacia trees.
The biggest threats to this landscape include habitat fragmentation, fire suppression and invasive species. Moreover, few alternatives exist for conserving non-park grasslands, so the Conservancy is working with the African Wildlife Foundation and other partners to establish and sustain private land trusts in Kenya and Tanzania.
To learn more about Africa's grasslands, click here >>
Oceans
The West Indian Ocean supports a wide diversity of life — from sea turtles and sharks to coral reefs and people.
In Seychelles, The Nature Conservancy is working with local governments to establish new marine protected areas and strengthen existing ones. In Mozambique, we are assisting the national government and the World Wildlife Fund in creating and ultimately managing Africa's largest marine protected area. This area boasts mangrove forests and is an essential breeding spot for five of the world’s seven marine turtle species.
Click to learn more about the West Indian Ocean >>
Rivers
Rising from a marshy bog in northwestern Zambia, the waters of the Zambezi River represent the lifeblood of the vast Kazungula region. The people here fish, irrigate their crops and share these waters of life with lions, black rhinos and the richest concentration of elephants in Africa.
The Conservancy is working with partners to enhance protected lands along the river and with hydropower specialists across the Zambezi River basin who now increasingly recognize that managing for natural river flows can produce energy while protecting — even restoring — ecosystems and rural livelihoods.
To learn more about our work along the Zambezi, click here >>
Nature picture credits (left to right): Farm along Zambezi River, Zambia © David Banks/TNC; Giraffe drinking in the Serengeti, Tanzania © Gwynn Crichton/TNC; Photo © Gwynn Crichton/TNC (Ostrich family in the Serengeti, Tanzania).
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