The Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF) has been awarded the 20th BBVA Foundation Worldwide Award for Biodiversity Conservation, earning international recognition for its impactful and sustained efforts to protect African elephants. The fund, launched in 2013 as a joint initiative between Save the Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network, supports a wide range of conservation organisations and partnerships across the continent. Its mission is to ensure that African elephant populations can thrive free from ivory poaching threats while fostering coexistence with local communities.
Guided by scientific research, the ECF provides rapid and flexible funding to address priority conservation needs. Since its inception, it has granted over USD $40 million to 119 grantees in 44 countries. These efforts focus on combating the ivory trade, mitigating human-elephant conflict, and safeguarding critical elephant populations and their habitats.
The ECF’s strategic investments have helped protect elephants across diverse ecosystems, from anti-poaching initiatives to landscape planning. In regions such as Chinko in the Central African Republic, elephant populations have been restored from near-extinction levels to the point where they can potentially repopulate vast landscapes. This demonstrates the ECF’s role in creating long-term, sustainable outcomes for elephant conservation.
Frank Pope, CEO of Save the Elephants, highlighted that the award recognizes the success of building a continental network of locally connected, experienced organisations capable of driving meaningful change. He emphasized the ECF’s commitment to continuing support for these organisations to address urgent challenges facing elephants across Africa.
The BBVA Foundation has supported nature protection for over two decades through research, field conservation, and public education initiatives. Its annual awards celebrate organisations, institutions, and individuals that translate scientific knowledge into effective conservation action, while also acknowledging journalists and communicators who raise awareness about pressing environmental issues.
Save the Elephants, which runs the ECF in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Network, combines high-tech research, such as elephant tracking, with community-focused solutions like beehive fences to promote human-elephant coexistence. Education and outreach programs ensure that local communities are equipped to protect and sustainably manage elephant populations, reinforcing the fund’s mission to secure a future for elephants across Africa.
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