Stand With Our Wildlife Rangers In The 2026 Wildlife Ranger Challenge

On 19 September 2026, sixteen Great Plains Foundation Wildlife Rangers, eight from Botswana and eight from Zimbabwe, will join hundreds of rangers from across Africa in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a 21 km half marathon that celebrates the people protecting the continent’s wildlife while raising vital funding to support their work.

For our teams, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge is an opportunity to demonstrate the resilience, teamwork and commitment required of Wildlife Rangers every day, while standing alongside colleagues across Africa in support of one shared purpose: protecting the continent’s wildlife and wild places.

Stand Alongside Our Wildlife Rangers

Every Donation Is Matched by 25%

Join the Challenge

You don’t need to be a Wildlife Ranger to stand alongside one. Every donation made before 30 September receives a 25% match, allowing your support to go even further. Your generosity helps provide the training, equipment and resources our Wildlife Rangers need to protect endangered wildlife, safeguard critical habitats, and support the communities living alongside them.

Wherever you are in the world, you can show your support by:

• Making a donation to either our Botswana or Zimbabwe Wildlife Ranger Challenge teams.
• Taking on your own challenge by walking or running a distance that is meaningful to you in support of Wildlife Rangers and tagging us on social media @greatplainsfoundation. Contact info@greatplainsfoundation.org for more information and support.
• Follow our journey and share your encouragement on social media using #ForWildlifeRangers #WildlifeRangerChallenge and #GreatPlainsFoundation to celebrate the dedication of rangers across Africa.

Every step taken by our Wildlife Rangers represents thousands more taken throughout the year in service of wildlife, people and the landscapes they protect.

Every Day Is Preparation

Across Botswana and Zimbabwe, Great Plains Foundation’s Wildlife Rangers spend their days monitoring wildlife, recording ecological data, supporting research, responding to conservation challenges and helping protect some of Africa’s most important ecosystems.

The work is physically demanding, often carried out in remote landscapes and changing environmental conditions. It requires strength, endurance, technical knowledge and the ability to make sound decisions under pressure.

That is why physical and mental wellbeing form an important part of our Wildlife Ranger Programme.

Throughout the year, our teams build fitness through regular training, endurance events and professional development. Rangers in Botswana have participated in the Kazungula Bridge Marathon, the Diacore Half Marathon and the Wildlife Ranger Challenge itself, while also developing leadership, GPS navigation, conservation storytelling, map-reading and defensive 4×4 driving skills. In Zimbabwe, Biodiversity & Wildlife Rangers continue to strengthen both their field expertise and academic knowledge through university studies, GIS training and remote sensing, ensuring conservation decisions are supported by high-quality scientific data.

“Knowing that the data we collect helps guide important conservation decisions reminds me that every patrol, every observation and every data point contributes to protecting wildlife for the future.” – Kristie.

The Wildlife Ranger Challenge brings these skills together in a unique way. In the weeks leading up to Race Day, ranger teams across Africa take part in a series of training challenges designed to test both physical fitness and wildlife knowledge.

These include:

• Push-Up Challenge
• Sit-Up Challenge
• Wildlife Ranger Quiz
• Time Trial

The campaign culminates in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge Half Marathon, where ranger teams complete 21 kilometres while carrying weighted backpacks – 22 kg for men and 10 kg for women – symbolising the physical and mental resilience required of Wildlife Rangers in the field.

For Great Plains Foundation, sixteen Wildlife Rangers, eight representing our Botswana team and eight representing our Zimbabwe team, will proudly take on this year’s challenge alongside hundreds of rangers from across the continent.

As Zimbabwe Ranger Team Leader Rachel reflects:

“The Wildlife Ranger Challenge is important to me because it celebrates the dedication and sacrifices that rangers make every day to protect wildlife and natural ecosystems. It also gives me the opportunity to challenge myself physically and mentally, represent female rangers, and inspire others to join the fight to protect our natural heritage.”

Reflecting on a previous Wildlife Ranger Challenge, Rachel adds:

“Participating in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge showed me that I’m stronger than I ever thought. It was a tough challenge, but absolutely worth it. It not only tests physical and mental endurance but also inspires growth, teamwork and a stronger sense of determination.”

A Movement Across Africa

Since its launch in 2020, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge has grown into one of Africa’s largest conservation fundraising initiatives.

In 2025, the continental challenge brought together 150 ranger teams from 62 conservation organisations, raising US$3.35 million for ranger programmes across the continent.

In addition to critical fundraising efforts, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge creates a vital sense of solidarity.

Every patrol completed, every wildlife sighting recorded, and every conservation decision informed by field data depends on dedicated Wildlife Rangers.

By supporting the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, you are helping invest in the people who make long-term conservation possible.

On 19 September, sixteen Great Plains Foundation Wildlife Rangers will join colleagues from across Africa in running for something far greater than themselves.

They’ll be running for wildlife.

They’ll be running for the communities that share these landscapes.

And they’ll be running to advance conservation and protect the ecosystems we all rely on.