€1 million for the protection of wildlife and natural habitats in Zimbabwe

(Harare, 05 March 2026) - Zimbabwe’s conservation efforts are set to receive a major boost with the announcement of a €1 million grant aimed at enhancing habitat and wildlife protection in the Hwange-Matetsi-Zambezi landscape.  

The generous contribution from the Postcode Lottery is earmarked to strengthen current rescue and conservation work by IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) in and around the vast 14,600 km² Hwange National Park, which is home to over 45,000 African savannah elephants. 

The investment will, among other things, support wildlife rescue efforts, enhance ranger capacity, and secure critical wildlife migration routes. 

Since 2019, IFAW has been working collaboratively with ZimParks and local communities under the Room to Roam initiative to secure the Hwange–Matetsi–Zambezi ecosystem—one of Southern Africa’s most important conservation landscapes.  

“Over the past six years, the IFAW-ZimParks partnership has managed to tackle some of the pressing conservation challenges in and around Hwange, and with this contribution from the Postcode Lottery, we can expand our work and continue building a future in which people and nature can live safely alongside one another,” says Alleta Nyahuye, IFAW Zimbabwe Country Director.  

“Thanks in part to our participants, IFAW can continue and strengthen this important work in Zimbabwe,” says Jonne Arnoldussen, Managing Director of the Postcode Lottery. “Together, we are contributing to a world in which people and nature can live in balance.” 

“We are grateful to our partners for this support, which we believe will help us safeguard our treasured wildlife resource and build resilience for wildlife, habitats, and the people coexisting with wildlife in the greater Hwange ecosystem, in line with Zimbabwe’s national development agenda,” says ZimParks Director General Professor Edson Gandiwa.  

ENDS  

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)  

IFAW is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and people working across seas and oceans in over 40 countries daily. We rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals and restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations, and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org  

About Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks)  

Tasked with the protection, management and administration of the wildlife of Zimbabwe, the Parks & Wildlife Management Authority has a proud history of sound management in conservation. Zimbabwe’s rich biodiversity provides a haven for many species of flora and fauna to survive and thrive. Given our stewardship's large and expansive resources, this responsibility cannot be achieved in isolation. Our network of protected areas, conservancies and trans-frontier parks ensures we share the load. In particular, Trans-frontier Conservation Areas promote collaboration with Zimbabwe’s neighbours to curb international wildlife crime, promote tourism and preserve the shared heritage, which knows no borders. www.zimparks.org.zw  

Press Contacts:  

Luckmore Safuli  
Communications Officer, Southern Africa 
m: +263 77 252 7736  
e: lsafuli@ifaw.org