Supporting Wild Elephants

Denver Zoo Partner IEF Selects 27 Global Projects to Receive 2020 Elephant Conservation and Research Grants

The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is proud to award more than $700,000 to 27 elephant conservation and research projects that support elephant conservation around the world, adding to the over $6 million total invested in conserving elephants since its inception in 1998.

The IEF is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation of individuals and institutions, including Denver Zoo, dedicated to the conservation of African and Asian Elephants worldwide. Founded in 1998 and incorporated in 1999, IEF is an organization working diligently and successfully for the conservation of elephants.

“Denver Zoo is a proud partner with IEF,” said Brian Aucone, Senior Vice President of Animal Science at Denver Zoo. “We are able to leverage our collective resources and expertise to help save these magnificent creatures across the many countries that they roam.”

“It's IEF's mission to support and operate elephant conservation and education programs, both in managed facilities and in the wild, with an emphasis on management, protection, and scientific research,” said Deborah Olson, Executive Director, International Elephant Foundation. “These conservation and research grants are more important than ever during the COVID pandemic. Stay at home orders across the globe have affected the ability of conservationists to protect animals in wild places. We will continue to support field conservation, field research, habitat protection, conservation education, professional training, technology transfer, capacity building, and zoo research.“

"For the seventh consecutive year, Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) working with DNPW in Zambia has been supported by IEF. In 2020, CLZ is grateful to be administered grants from IEF to support our critical law enforcement patrols, environmental education outreach, and ongoing research as well as an expansion of the existing Dog Unit," said Nikita Iyengar, Conservation Lower Zambezi. IEF will support two projects that support wildlife protection efforts in the Lower Zambezi National Park and the expansion of the DNPW/CLZ detection and tracking dog unit to provide additional law enforcement support to elephants and other wildlife in the Lower Zambezi.

“The IEF fund will be absolutely valuable in bringing awareness to the school children and the community who live near elephant habitats," said Rengasamy Marimuthu from Zoo Outreach Organization. "The need for coexistence with the gentle giants is the only possibility through diverse teaching modules in Tamil Nadu, India." IEF will support their project, Human-Elephant Coexistence HECx : Advocating through awareness programs in Tamil Nadu.

"Elephants-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) is very grateful to the IEF for the generous grant we have received for our PEACE Project. This grant is a big step in our fundraising efforts and is a true

reflection of the global support of this program. With the IEF's support, we are able to fund the development of our Elephant Guard initiative, of which the primary function is to help combat elephant-human conflict through ongoing community outreach and education. This initiative is a critical piece of EHRA’s conservation efforts that ensure the protection of local communities and Namibia’s free-roaming desert-adapted elephants," said Rachel Harris, Elephants-Human Relations Aid.

IEF’s projects continue to change the lives of elephants, other wildlife, and hundreds of thousands of people who share the landscape with elephants. Those who donate to the IEF can rest assured that your money is going to support one of our many elephant conservation and research projects as listed.

IEF congratulates the 2020 Conservation and Research Grant recipients:

Adopting effective approaches to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the South Katavi Ecosystem

Katavi National Park and Mpimbwe Wildlife Management area – Tanzania, Africa

Behavior-based human-elephant conflict mitigation: combining tactical and homemade strategies

Communities neighboring the Nkala Game Management Area near Kafue National Park – Zambia, Africa

Big Tusker Project

The Tsavo Conservation Area – Kenya, Africa

Conservation of elephants in key areas of Murchison Falls Conservation Area

Uganda, Africa

Elephant deterrent effectiveness in light of ecological and agricultural variation

Kenya, Africa

Elephant utilization of the Kaifeng-Zambezi Wildlife Corridor of KAZA TFCA

Zambia, Africa

Enabling human-elephant co-existence through applied research and stakeholder engagement

Botswana, Africa

Expansion of the DNPW/CLZ detection and tracking dog unit to provide additional law enforcement support to elephants and other wildlife in the Lower Zambezi

Zambia, Africa

Mount Kenya Horse Patrol Team

Kenya, Africa

PEACE (People and Elephants Amicably Co-Existing) conflict mitigation program

Namibia, Africa

Support of the Anti-Poaching Teams 9-1 & 9-2 of Northern Rangelands Trust Conservancies

Kenya, Africa

Support to wildlife protection efforts in the Lower Zambezi National Park

Zambia, Africa

Sustaining local support for elephant conservation near Ruaha, Tanzania

Tanzania, Africa

The effect of community workshops and elephant movements on human-elephant conflict

Kenya, Africa

Using social network analysis to achieve faster conservation education outcomes

Uganda, Africa

Community-based human-elephant conflict mitigation in Pumat National Park

Vietnam, Asia

Community-Based Protection of Sumatran Elephant Populations and Habitat in northern Sumatra through Conservation Response Units

Indonesia, Asia

Demand reduction-Expand outreach to Chinese travelers

China, Asia

Elephant Response Units in Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra

Indonesia, Asia

Elephant Response Units in Seblat Forest in Sumatra

Indonesia, Asia

Human-elephant conflict mitigation through community-managed Tongis in fringe of Kaziranga National Park

India, Asia

Human-Elephant Coexistence HECx : Advocating through awareness programs in Tamil Nadu

India, Asia

Mobilizing Community Forest User Groups for the Elephant Habitat Restoration

Nepal, Asia

Strengthen Human-Elephant Co-existence in Nepal

Nepal, Asia

Detection of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus 1A DNA using in situ hybridization

Ex-Situ Conservation

Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus Genomics and Pathogenesis

Ex-Situ Conservation

Realization of an Effective Vaccine Against Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus

Ex-Situ Conservation