An elephant and its calf./PHOTO ; Save the Elephants
African elephants, once on the brink of catastrophic decline due to poaching and habitat loss, have a renewed lifeline through a continent-wide network of conservation efforts.
This collective impact has now been recognised on the global stage.
The Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF) has been named the winner of the 20th BBVA Foundation Worldwide Award for Biodiversity Conservation, receiving international acclaim for its groundbreaking and sustained contribution to protecting elephants across Africa.
For Frank Pope, CEO of Save the Elephants, the award is a recognition of years of collaborative effort.
“Receiving this award is truly an honour, and a recognition that our vision of building a continental network to secure a future for elephants is bearing fruit,” he said.
Launched in 2013 as a joint initiative between Save the Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network, the ECF was designed to channel resources where they are needed most.
By investing strategically in both grassroots groups and established institutions, the Fund helps ensure that African elephant populations can thrive free from the threat of ivory poaching, while also fostering coexistence with local communities.
A Networked Approach to Conservation
What sets the Elephant Crisis Fund apart is its guiding principle: flexible, rapid support based on science and local expertise.
Since its inception, the Fund has distributed more than USD $40 million to 119 grantees operating in 44 countries.
These resources have been deployed across multiple fronts, from tackling the international ivory trade to mitigating human-elephant conflict and safeguarding vital elephant landscapes.
The conservation situation for elephants varies greatly across ecosystems, and the ECF has adapted its approach accordingly.
In some landscapes, the priority is protecting elephants from heavily arM
This ability to respond to diverse challenges has allowed the Fund’s partners to make measurable progress across the continent.
In Chinko, the Central African Republic, for instance, elephants have been rescued from the edge of local extinction.
With dedicated support, their numbers are now recovering, giving them the potential to repopulate vast wild areas where they had disappeared.
A Continental Vision
“Experienced, deeply rooted, and locally connected organisations are the key to creating meaningful change at the scale we need across Africa. We remain committed to strengthening this network and injecting support where it is most needed. Together, we are helping elephants across the continent with the challenges they face,” added Pope.
The ECF’s model shows that collaboration, rather than isolated action, is central to tackling conservation at scale.
Its partners range from anti-poaching rangers and intelligence networks to community-led initiatives that reduce conflict and create alternative livelihoods.
Tools such as high-tech GPS tracking help in landscape planning, while low-tech innovations like beehive fences give communities both protection and a source of income.
Recognition from the BBVA Foundation
The BBVA Foundation, which has prioritised nature protection for more than two decades, praised the ECF’s wide-reaching achievements.
Its annual awards highlight conservation organisations, institutions, and public agencies that translate scientific knowledge into real-world environmental solutions.
Over its 20 editions, the program has honoured a diverse range of organisations worldwide.
Beyond conservationists, it also recognises specialised journalists and communicators who help the public understand urgent environmental challenges.
In choosing the Elephant Crisis Fund, the Foundation has reinforced the importance of both grassroots and global collaboration in addressing biodiversity loss.
The award places the ECF among leading conservation models that link research, action, and community participation to safeguard our natural heritage.
About Save the Elephants and the ECF
Save the Elephants works to secure a future for elephants through research and conservation.
Its scientific insights into elephant behaviour, intelligence, and long-distance movements are applied to real-world challenges of survival and coexistence with people.
Education and outreach programmes extend these lessons to local communities, positioning them as custodians of Africa’s elephant heritage.
Together with the Wildlife Conservation Network, Save the Elephants runs the Elephant Crisis Fund (www.elephantcrisisfund.org).
Through this partnership, NGOs across Africa receive flexible, responsive support to combat ivory trafficking, promote human-elephant coexistence, and protect elephant landscapes.
From poaching hotspots to farming communities, the ECF’s work reflects a simple but urgent mission: to secure a future where elephants continue to roam Africa’s wild lands for generations to come.
