International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF)

The mission of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) is wildlife conservation through direct action.

IAPF protects endangered wildlife and ecosystems by conducting anti-poaching operations, delivering ranger training, supplying equipment and technological solutions, and providing critical project management and administrative support to local communities engaged in preventing poaching and parts trafficking.

Local empowerment and engagement play a critical role in reducing wildlife crime. IAPF’s community-focused operations are proving to be more effective and enduring than the highly militarized/adversarial anti-poaching tactics of the past. Our rangers are armed, and trained in military and policing skills, but they are also highly skilled communicators - and an active part of the communities in which they work. These communities are being given opportunities and incentives to “be the solution” — and they are responding magnificently.

Our Founder & CEO, Damien Mander, envisions a world in which conservation organizations like IAPF "put ourselves out of work." That is our ultimate goal.

IAPF has a structured approach to conservation, employing the tactics and technologies most relevant to defending wildlife within protected areas. But anti-poaching is only one part of our conservation solution.

Alongside partners who specialize in community engagement and development, research and development, wildlife rescue, and biodiversity management, IAPF deploys a number of programs in pursuit of our objectives.

Akashinga (“The Brave Ones”) - IAPF's All-Female Conservation Model

Innovative: IAPF’s Akashinga program is a new way of conducting conservation work. In an industry where men outnumber women on the frontlines by up to 100:1, a primary strategy of Akashinga is female empowerment. Professionally trained, fully qualified, and tough-as-nails: These disadvantaged women are given employment protecting the wildlife reserves in their own regions.

Along with protection for local ecosystems, this program benefits families and local economies…as community development and conservation are blended for the benefit of all species.

Effective: IAPF’s Akashinga program is a new, sustainable, and scalable model for large area conservation. It is working even as you read this.

In just the first nine months of frontline operations in Zimbabwe, the first Akashinga team has made over 100 arrests since going operational, shattering local ivory poaching syndicates and paving the way for the future of local families and nature. While trained in the use of weapons and ready to use them, we're proud no shots have been fired.

Community-based: Akashinga works WITH rather than AGAINST local populations by:
• Training and employment offered to local people
• Facilitating full financial participation of local women
• Supporting community development projects.

These are sound investments reaping long-term benefits for these communities — and for the protection of their surrounding ecosystems.

LEADRanger

We identified a need and the solution: The world keeps looking to expensive and sophisticated solutions for conservation challenges. But most often, the difference between the success and failure of a program is one good indigenous commander leading their rangers on the frontlines. This local leadership is the biggest gap in conservation.

The LEADRanger program re-builds management skills in the conservation industry by developing anti-poaching instructors and leaders who take the skills back to their home entities & train others. This “Train the Trainer” program provides unique experiences and “tools” for conservation law enforcement agencies to share across a growing number of countries.

Special Investigations (SI)

Targeting trafficking kingpins: A less discussed program, SI focuses on the wildlife supply chain in southern Africa rather than "just" the poachers on the ground. SI conducts cross-border wildlife crime information gathering with the intention of publishing or prosecuting crimes against wildlife and the key figures involved.

IAPF develops, implements, and manages:

* Anti-poaching ranger training

* Conservation security plans

* Anti-poaching operations

* Wildlife crime information systems

* Specialized, unique, and customized technology and systems for anti-poaching operations

* Field equipment procurement and logistics

We have a growing network of organizations, military and police veterans, national and regional conservation/law enforcement authorities, politicians, and others who are involved in and supportive of our important work.

Akashinga’s “boots on the ground” are female…and survivors. They’ve lived through tragic and devastating personal circumstances, and yet they choose to take up the cause of wildland conservation and endangered species protection. We’re giving them a continuing opportunity for fiscal independence, and they’re making some wonderful choices with their earnings. They are tough, trained, and tenacious – but they are also community members and they live alongside the areas they’re protecting. The wages they earn help support local businesses, schools, markets, community projects, and more. Our program has more than offset any minor economic loss created when the trophy hunters left. In fact, Akashinga invests more into the local community each month than trophy hunters did each year.

Additional community benefits include 47 jobs and households with good wages; 282 people are directly benefiting from Akashinga – including 141 school aged children. And these are just the direct impacts. Our rangers also get healthcare, legal support, education, learn to drive (NOT a given for anyone, especially women, in Zimbabwe), and some are buying houses!

Our work also creates goodwill with local people, national and regional authorities, farmers, and just about anyone we encounter. Because of the results we’re creating, we’re earning respect - and we leverage that respect to further the work we are doing. For example, we can’t share the details, but we recently got a letter of endorsement from a Zimbabwean federal entity thanking us for our work and endorsing our ongoing efforts.

We are empowering women, stabilizing communities, and growing networks of caring people while accomplishing our primary objective: The protection of nature. While such statements offer a warm feeling, we have performance metrics proving that our pride in our teams is justified.

Let’s examine the impact we’ve had on poaching in the Lower Zambezi:

2016: 70+ elephants killed (5.8 per month)

2017: 28 elephants killed; this is a 60% decrease from 2016 (IAPF began regional patrols/training/etc.)

2018: 18 elephants killed.

2019: 17 elephants killed; a 76% reduction from 2016.

2020: 12 elephants killed; an 88% reduction from 2016, and an especially difficult on given the impact of COVID-19 on our field operations.

Akashinga is holistic, sustainable, and scalable for large area wildlife conservation. And most importantly, it’s working!In the first 12 months of operation, these brave women have conducted in excess of 413 daily patrols, 210 extended (3-5 day) field patrols, 960 community patrols, and their mere presence has prevented uncountable poaching and trafficking activities. Patrols and arrests have, of course, continued to gain momentum since then. Also of note: When Akashinga began patrolling, wildlife was seen as infrequently as once a week. They now see the animals they are protecting on almost every patrol!

We already are expanding, and need only more resources to continue.