In 2007, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) was supporting wildlife conservation in Zambia, when a number of orphaned elephants were rescued. DSWF requested Sport Beattie (now Game Rangers International’ CEO) to come to Zambia to help to establish a formal programme for elephant rehabilitation and release. Sport and DSWF then partnered to establish Game Rangers International (GRI) as a Zambianbased non-profit NGO to support wildlife conservation holistically. Our main goals are to empower rangers and local communities to conserve nature.
GRI takes a holistic approach to conservation with three core areas of focus, including resource protection — covering anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and firefighting. There’s also community outreach — raising conservation awareness, improving natural resource management, empowering women, mitigating human-wildlife conflicts and improving health and wellbeing in communities living alongside nature. And lastly, wildlife rescue — rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing animals (primarily elephants), and providing in-situ emergency veterinary response.