Global Conservation and SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund announced a historic $2 Million Grant for Wildlife Recovery of Lions, Rhinos, Elephants, Hippos, Hyenas and Giraffes in Uganda’s National Parks
Global Conservation and The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund announced today a landmark five-year, $2 million investment to deliver transformative, landscape-scale conservation across Uganda’s Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks.
The first of its kind, the national initiative — From Recovery to Resilience: Scaling Conservation Impact in Uganda — will be executed in partnership with the Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF) and the Uganda Wildlife Authorit y(UWA), building on over a decade of collaborative management and conservation work in the region.
Major expected outcomes of this initiative will be enhanced protection of Uganda’s national parks — which this month recruited 600 new park rangers — and the reintroduction of rhinos and lions to Kidepo Valley National Park, a milestone for East African conservation.
Key Takeaways:
—Global Conservation and The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund funding will be directed toward protecting critical species, including lions, rhinos, elephants, hippos, hyenas and giraffes.
—The program will integrate species recovery plans into the EarthRanger platform, enabling a scalable, data-driven system that expands effective management across entire protected areas.
—The initiative signifies wildlife protection at scale by addressing the 80% of under-managed key landscapes across the region using Global Park Defense and Community Protection methods.
—Large-scale, technology-enabled conservation integrates digital systems and real-time field data for consistent, evidence-based protection and species recovery for three of Uganda’s most iconic and endangered national parks facing wildlife poaching and industrial-scale illegal snaring of thousands of animals annually.
In March 2026, Global Conservation, in partnership with Uganda Conservation Foundation, the Northern Rangeland Trust, WildLandscapes East Africa and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, successfully reintroduced rhinoceros to Kidepo Valley National Park, which had been wiped out in 1983 due to poaching, conflict and failing protection.
This funding enables around-the-clock surveillance and patrolling to protect the rhinos inside Kidepo Valley National Park and improve fencing, access roads, fire prevention, park-wide communications and security systems.
Historically, conservation impact across Uganda’s protected areas has been concentrated in limited, tourism-accessible zones, leaving more than 80% of key landscapes under-managed.
These UCF-led recovery programs directly address that imbalance by transitioning from localized recovery efforts to a park-wide, fully integrated, system-driven model of protected area management, embedding sector and species-specific planning at the core of national park operations.
Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of Global Conservation, said, “This partnership reflects Global Conservation’s deep commitment to protecting wildlife at scale. Uganda’s national parks are home to some of Africa’s most iconic and threatened species, and we are proud to invest in a program that combines cutting-edge technology with on-the-ground expertise to secure their future. The collaboration with SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, UCF and UWA gives us confidence that these funds will deliver lasting, measurable impact.”
Coordinated Investment Framework Delivers Conservation at Scale
With a projected budget of approximately $2 million over five years, the initiative is structured as a catalytic, co-funded platform to raise up to $5 million in this period. Contributions from the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund will leverage matched funding from Global Conservation, creating a coordinated investment framework designed to deliver conservation impact at scale.
Rob Yordi, Executive Director of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, said, “For more than two decades, the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has been dedicated to supporting grassroots conservation efforts that deliver meaningful results for wildlife and local communities. This initiative builds on that legacy by bringing together partners around a coordinated investment framework that aligns resources, expertise, and long-term conservation goals. By co-funding proven conservation solutions and scaling them across entire ecosystems, we can accelerate wildlife recovery, strengthen protected area management and create lasting impact in some of Africa’s most important landscapes.”
Michael Keigwin, Founder and Trustee of Uganda Conservation Foundation, said, “Our collaborative management with the Uganda Wildlife Authority is based on thirty years of frontline conservation and regional development in three of Africa’s most incredible landscapes and species.”
Crucially, the integration of digital systems and real-time field data will enable the consistent production of high-quality, evidence-based content from Uganda’s parks, significantly expanding global media reach, enhancing donor visibility and positioning all partners at the forefront of large-scale, technology-enabled conservation.
Charles Tumwesigye, Commissioner of Field Operations of Uganda Wildlife Authority, said, “Our use of conservation technology across our protected areas has grown enormously, with UWA for the first time having real-time access to data and reports to support and help us conserve our protected areas, tourism and our wildlife better. We can’t thank our long term partners enough, and have lots yet to accomplish.”
By embedding sector-based planning, scaling data-driven systems and focusing on sustained species recovery, the program will expand protected area management across entire landscapes, delivering measurable ecological recovery, reduced threats and resilient park-community systems — while establishing a scalable, nationally owned model for long-term conservation success in Uganda.
About Global Conservation:
Global Conservation is the only international NGO focused exclusively on protection of endangered national parks and indigenous territories in developing countries. In its tenth year, Global Conservation has over thirty (30) GC Projects in twenty-two (22) countries providing hundreds of grants each year directly to protecting endangered national parks and indigenous territories – focused on ‘The Last 10%’ of the Earth’s intact tropical forests and wildlife habitats, critical to achieving the UN Goal of “30×30.”
About the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund
Founded in 2003, the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that supports grassroots conservation projects worldwide. For more than two decades, the Fund has empowered researchers, conservationists, educators, and rescue organizations working on the front lines to protect wildlife, restore habitats, and inspire future generations of conservation leaders.
The Fund has awarded over $24 million in grants to support over 1,600 conservation and ecosystem projects, benefiting more than 100 species of marine and terrestrial animals across all seven continents. Funding is through contributions from United Parks & Resorts and its corporate partners, park guest donations, merchandise sales, and fundraising initiatives.
Because United Parks & Resorts covers all administrative and operating expenses, 100 percent of public donations directly support conservation efforts in the field. Learn more at www.swbg-conservationfund.org and follow us on Instagram @SWBGCF.
About the Uganda Conservation Foundation
Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF) is a not-for-profit organization registered in the UK and Uganda which is dedicated to protecting Uganda’s national parks, protected areas and conservancies. We do this through a range of projects which include recovering and reconnecting neglected protected areas and supporting the recovery of their wildlife populations, mitigating human – wildlife conflict, and improving livelihoods of communities close to protected areas
