Protecting Great Apes From Ebola in Virunga National Park, DRC
In May 2026 the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern following an outbreak of the Ebola virus in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. In response, the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) provided emergency support to reduce the risk of Ebola transmission from humans to the globally important…
Safe surveillance during instability in Virunga National Park, DRC
In early 2025, security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) became highly volatile, placing both park rangers and wildlife in Virunga National Park (VNP) at serious risk. In response, the RRF provided emergency support to restore the park’s aircraft, enabling aerial surveillance of the park, safe emergency operations, and the monitoring and assessment of…
Mitigating the effects of flooding in the Beni Biosphere Reserve, Bolivia
The 2024-2025 wet season in Bolivia brought exceptionally severe flooding to the Beni Biosphere Reserve, resulting in wildlife losses and significant impacts on local communities. To help mitigate these effects, the RRF provided funding to clear and unblock rivers, redirect floodwaters, provide first aid to affected communities and rescue wildlife. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve…
Strengthening surveillance during insecurity in W-Arly-Pendjari complex, Niger
The W-Arly-Pendjari Complex World Heritage site is a mosaic of nine protected areas spreading across three countries (Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger). At the end of 2022, regular monitoring showed a sudden, dramatic increase in illegal activities, including poaching, illegal logging, deliberate wildfires and incursions by armed militants. The RRF provided funding to Wild Africa…
Protecting tigers and people of the Sundarbans, India, in the aftermath of cyclone Amphan
In May 2020, Cyclone Amphan hit India, including the Sundarbans World Heritage site, home to the Bengal tiger and millions of people. Following the destruction caused, quick action was needed to save the lives of both people and tigers. The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) supported WWF India to restore essential human-tiger conflict prevention measures that…
Putting out fires in Bolivia’s Noel Kempff Mercado
In 2024, fires put the forests and wildlife of Bolivia’s Noel Kempff Mercado National Park and World Heritage site at great risk. To help protect this important area, the RRF provided a $40,000 grant to Fundación para la Conservación del Bosque Chiquitano. The funding helped fight the fires and protect the park’s valuable biodiversity, improved…
Protecting the gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic had a long-lasting impact on countries across the globe; but also threatened our close evolutionary ‘cousins’ and one of the world’s most iconic threatened species – the mountain gorilla, the jewel in the crown of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and World Heritage site. In 2020, RRF provided critical emergency funding to…
Enhancing firefighting efforts to safeguard Guatemala’s Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve
In 2024, the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala experienced severe forest fires, threatening its rich biodiversity. To support immediate firefighting operations and strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration, the RRF granted $30,000 to Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza. In February 2024, the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, a critical conservation area in southwestern Guatemala,…
Firefighting in araucaria biosphere reserve – Chile
Wildfires threatened valuable forests within the Araucaria Biosphere Reserve, impacting at least 2,300 hectares of forest, including ancient araucaria stands. In March 2024, RRF granted US$38,840 to the Municipality of Lonquimay to extinguish the fires and build capacity for longer-term fire management. In January 2024, a lightning strike caused forest fires to break out in…
Bolstering coordination and capacity of fire-fighting efforts in the Brazilian Pantanal
Extensive fires threatened to cause considerable damage to the Pantanal Conservation Area in Brazil. RRF granted US$40,000 to Panthera Brazil to support fire suppression on-the-ground and participate in delivery of large-scale cooperative fire response systems, preventing further loss of valuable habitat. In November 2023, severe and protracted forest fires affected the Pantanal Conservation Area World…