Conservation Organisations Protecting Eswatini's Wildlife in 2026

Last reviewed August 2026. Conservation data changes — see the cited sources for the latest figures.

Quick answer: Conservation in Eswatini is delivered through a network of government agencies, private reserves, community conservancies and international partners. Big Game Parks, the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC), Giraffe Conservation Foundation, IUCN, Tusk and specialist ranger-training organisations all contribute to species protection, landscape management, community livelihoods or conservation finance.

The country has recorded important conservation gains, including a southern giraffe population of more than 400 animals across 11 properties. However, rhino poaching, insufficient protected-area funding, unsustainable resource use, habitat pressure and the need for stronger community benefits continue to shape the conservation agenda.

Why conservation partnerships matter in Eswatini

Eswatini is a small country with a high concentration of wildlife areas managed under different ownership models. State institutions, private reserves and community conservancies operate alongside one another, making coordination essential for animals whose ranges do not follow administrative boundaries.

The Eswatini National Trust Commission is identified as the country’s main government agency for biodiversity conservation. ENTC also works with governments and conservation organisations in Mozambique and South Africa through the Greater Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area, or TFCA. This cross-border approach matters because the Lubombo landscape is shared across national boundaries and links conservation with socio-economic development and sustainable natural-resource use.

One practical example is the Lebombo Conservancy. Big Game Parks describes it as a collaboration involving Mbuluzi Game Reserve, YSIS, Mlawula Nature Reserve, the Shewula community and Hlane Royal National Park. Although the properties remain separately fenced, their management teams work together on conservation across the wider area.

This partnership model is relevant to travellers comparing a conventional wildlife safari, a private reserve or a community-led nature experience. Conservation outcomes are rarely produced by one organisation alone: enforcement, habitat management, ecological monitoring, tourism income and local participation need to reinforce one another.

The main threats to wildlife

Rhino poaching and wildlife crime

Rhino protection remains one of Eswatini’s most urgent conservation priorities. Endangered Species Protection Agency USA Foundation (ESPA) states that the country’s black rhino population was once reduced to five individuals and that the white rhino population was severely depleted. The same organisation describes the current poaching risk as severe, even after reporting no rhino poaching at Hlane Royal National Park and Mkhaya Game Reserve following its training partnership with Big Game Parks.

The reported result should be read carefully. ESPA attributes a 100% reduction in rhino poaching at those two reserves to its partnership, but this is an organisation-reported programme outcome rather than an independently evaluated national statistic. The underlying threat has not disappeared: organised wildlife crime continues to require trained rangers, effective investigations, evidence handling, prosecution and long-term funding.

COVID-19 also exposed the financial vulnerability of protected areas that depend heavily on visitor revenue. The International Rhino Foundation provided Mkhaya Game Reserve, managed by Big Game Parks, with $25,000 to help cover reserve-staff salaries for six months during the pandemic. Its emergency fund was created because travel restrictions reduced tourism income and threatened the employment of personnel responsible for wildlife protection.

Protected-area financing

Protected areas need reliable money for patrols, vehicles, communications, fencing, ecological monitoring, staff welfare and community programmes. A survey of protected-area stakeholders reported that 85% believed the areas where they worked were insufficiently funded to achieve their conservation goals. Sixty-one percent said that both reduced pressure on protected areas and increased funding would be needed, while 69% were unaware of alternative finance mechanisms beyond traditional donor funding or government grants.

The financing problem is not simply an accounting issue. The same analysis links funding shortages with unsustainable resource use, overexploitation and pressure on livelihoods. A reserve may have strong laws and committed staff, but still struggle to deliver protection if operating budgets are unpredictable.

Habitat pressure, climate and human–wildlife coexistence

Eswatini’s conservation organisations also work in landscapes where people depend on agriculture, natural resources and rural enterprises. FAO’s GEF-8 Food Systems Transformation Project, launched in March 2026, brings together government ministries, development partners and rural communities to address food security and environmental concerns across governance, financing, production landscapes and value chains.

The project places particular emphasis on women and young people as agents of sustainable change in rural communities. This is significant because conservation outside formal reserves depends on land-use decisions, food systems and household opportunities as well as on patrols inside protected areas.

Climate variability can intensify pressure on both people and wildlife by affecting water, crops and grazing. The available research supports describing climate and environmental concerns as part of the sustainable-development challenge, but it does not provide a current national figure for climate-driven wildlife losses. It would therefore be misleading to attach an unsupported number to this threat.

Organisations and programmes protecting wildlife

Organisation or partnership	Role documented in the research
Eswatini National Trust Commission	National biodiversity-conservation agency and ENTC partner in the Lubombo TFCA.
Big Game Parks	Manages multiple reserves, including Hlane Royal National Park and Mkhaya Game Reserve; works with partners on rhino protection and giraffe conservation.
Giraffe Conservation Foundation	Collaborates with Big Game Parks and local partners to improve knowledge of southern giraffe status and support future conservation.
IUCN SADC TFCA Financing Facility	Supported anti-poaching operations, protective equipment, ranger human-rights training and community livelihoods in the Lubombo TFCA.
PELUM Eswatini	Partnered with ENTC in implementing a COVID-19 Response Grant for conservation areas and communities.
ESPA	Provided Big Game Parks with ranger training in patrols, first aid, crime-scene management, evidence preservation, legal practice and operational mentoring.
Tusk	Reported a 2023 grant of £8,549 to Big Game Parks and supports conservation partners and ranger units across Africa.
All Out Africa Foundation	Combines field research, education, community partnerships and sustainable ecotourism across Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa.

Big Game Parks and reserve-based conservation

Big Game Parks manages a group of Eswatini wildlife areas and states that its parks are self-sustaining through tourism and conservation revenues, while contributions from individuals and organisations help make large projects possible sooner. Its partnership list includes the African Rhino Specialist Group and the Game Rangers Association of Africa, as well as the organisations involved in the Lebombo Conservancy.

Its conservation work illustrates why a wildlife safari park is more than a destination for viewing animals. Entrance fees, accommodation, guiding and other visitor spending can support the staff and infrastructure that keep protected areas operating. The precise share reaching conservation varies by property and should be checked with the operator rather than assumed.

Rangers, law enforcement and human rights

Rangers are central to wildlife protection, but effective conservation law enforcement also requires safety, due process, evidence standards and community legitimacy. In 2022, IUCN’s SADC TFCA Financing Facility commissioned human-rights and law-enforcement training for grant recipients in the Lubombo TFCA. At least 53 participants came from conservation areas including community conservancies, ENTC, IYSIS, Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Phophonyane Conservancy, Mhlumeni Bush Camp and Shewula Mountain Camp.

The associated COVID-19 grant funded rations and protective equipment for anti-poaching operations and supported community livelihoods through mushroom farming. These details show a broader understanding of ranger support: frontline protection is connected to health, equipment, training and the economic resilience of neighbouring communities.

ESPA’s Project ALPHA adds specialist capacity. Its reported training for Big Game Parks included field first aid, patrol skills, crime-scene management, evidence preservation, legal training for the Department of Public Prosecutions and operational mentorship. These are complementary functions: preventing an incident, responding safely, preserving evidence and building a case all matter in tackling organised wildlife crime.

Species monitoring and giraffe conservation

Giraffe Conservation Foundation is working with Big Game Parks and other local partners to improve understanding of southern giraffe numbers in Eswatini and inform future conservation action. The country’s giraffe population began with two animals introduced from South Africa to Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in 1965; descendants were later reintroduced to Hlane and other properties.

GCF reports that more than 400 southern giraffe now live across 11 properties in Eswatini. That increase is an encouraging example of how protected areas, translocations and long-term management can support species recovery. It is not a reason for complacency: the purpose of current monitoring is to establish population status more accurately and guide future decisions.

For a wider explanation of the species context, see SafariFind’s article on giraffe conservation in Eswatini. Species-focused reporting should distinguish between the southern giraffe population documented by GCF and other giraffe categories or regional estimates.

Research, education and sustainable livelihoods

All Out Africa Foundation describes a model combining research, education, community partnerships and sustainable ecotourism. Its Eswatini work includes savannah research and biodiversity monitoring, while its wider programme includes education and food support for vulnerable children. Its research page reports more than 170 peer-reviewed manuscripts from savannah-ecology field research and engagement with more than 1,200 local students annually; these are organisation-reported outputs, not a national measure of conservation impact.

FAO’s 2026 GEF-8 project similarly connects environmental protection with agricultural transformation, rural communities, women and youth. This approach recognises that conservation organisations cannot secure wildlife indefinitely without addressing the economic conditions surrounding protected landscapes.

Results and setbacks: a balanced assessment

Several results stand out. Southern giraffe numbers have increased to more than 400 across 11 properties, according to GCF. ESPA reports no rhino poaching at Hlane and Mkhaya after its Big Game Parks training partnership. IUCN-supported work helped provide ranger equipment, rations, human-rights training and a livelihood activity during a period when the pandemic disrupted park operations.

At the same time, these results do not remove the structural risks. ESPA still assesses rhino-poaching risk as severe. Protected-area stakeholders report inadequate funding, limited awareness of alternative finance and the need to reduce pressure on protected areas. Tourism-dependent reserves can be exposed to sudden revenue shocks, as the pandemic demonstrated.

There is also a governance challenge. Eswatini has many international, regional and national NGOs and charitable organisations working across social and environmental issues, but the BTI Country Report 2026 says that space for civil-society engagement is shrinking. Conservation partnerships therefore need transparency, clear responsibilities, community participation and evidence-based reporting—not only announcements of success.

For travellers, this means asking useful questions. Who manages the area? Which organisation employs the rangers? How are local communities involved? Does the operator publish conservation or community results? Are wildlife sightings being conducted in ways that minimise disturbance? These questions help separate responsible tourism from wildlife marketing that makes claims without evidence.

Community and tourism’s role

Community conservancies are visible partners in Eswatini’s conservation system. The IUCN training included Shewula and Mhlumeni community facilities, while the Lebombo Conservancy links a community area with state and private reserves. Community participation can improve the social basis for conservation, but the research provided here does not quantify household income or attitudes across all conservancies. Claims about benefits should therefore be assessed property by property.

Tourism can contribute through park fees, accommodation, guiding, conservation levies, employment and local procurement. Big Game Parks explicitly says tourism and conservation revenues sustain its parks, while external contributions help finance major projects. The International Rhino Foundation’s pandemic response demonstrates the converse: when travel stopped, reserves struggled to retain staff and maintain health and safety supplies.

Visitors comparing Eswatini with a search such as “timbavati wildlife park safari train” should note that these describe different safari products and landscapes. In Eswatini, the conservation question is not simply which vehicle or accommodation is most comfortable; it is how the chosen reserve, conservancy or tour operator contributes to wildlife protection and local livelihoods.

Travellers can book conservation-supporting safaris on SafariFind, but should verify each property’s current conservation commitments directly. A responsible booking decision favours transparent operators, qualified guides, appropriate wildlife distances and activities that return value to the protected area and its surrounding communities.

How travellers can help responsibly

• Choose transparent operators: ask how visitor revenue supports conservation, staff and communities. Big Game Parks’ stated tourism-revenue model provides one example, but policies differ between properties.
• Support local economies: use local guides where available, buy locally made products and select community-linked experiences such as the Shewula Community Nature Reserve.
• Respect wildlife: do not request unsafe approaches, baiting or intrusive photography. Follow guide instructions around rhinos, giraffes and other animals.
• Do not share sensitive information: avoid posting precise locations of vulnerable species or patrol routines, which can create security risks.
• Support credible organisations: donations to established partners can help with ranger equipment, training, monitoring or community programmes. Tusk, for example, reported support for Big Game Parks in its financial reporting.
• Keep conservation claims evidence-based: look for named programmes, dates, partners and measurable results rather than vague promises.

What the next phase requires

Eswatini’s conservation organisations have demonstrated the value of partnership: Big Game Parks provides reserve-level management; ENTC provides a national institutional role; community conservancies connect protection with local landscapes; international organisations contribute specialist skills, funding and monitoring.

The next phase should build on those strengths while addressing the weaknesses identified in the research: severe ongoing rhino-poaching risk, underfunded protected areas, tourism-income vulnerability and the need for durable community participation. Better financing mechanisms, accountable partnerships, ranger welfare, ecological monitoring and sustainable rural livelihoods will be as important as additional patrols.

That is the central lesson for 2026: wildlife protection in Eswatini is not one organisation’s task. It is a connected system in which reserves, government, communities, researchers, donors, tourism businesses and visitors each influence whether conservation gains endure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which organisations protect wildlife in Eswatini?

Key organisations include the Eswatini National Trust Commission, Big Game Parks, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, IUCN, PELUM Eswatini, ESPA, Tusk and All Out Africa Foundation. Their roles include biodiversity governance, reserve management, species monitoring, ranger training, conservation finance, research and community programmes.

What is the main government conservation agency in Eswatini?

The Eswatini National Trust Commission is identified as the country’s main government agency responsible for biodiversity conservation. It also works with partners in Mozambique and South Africa through the Greater Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area.

How many giraffes are in Eswatini?

The Giraffe Conservation Foundation reports that more than 400 southern giraffes live across 11 properties in Eswatini.

Is rhino poaching still a threat in Eswatini?

Yes. ESPA describes the rhino-poaching risk in Eswatini as severe, although it reports a 100% reduction in rhino poaching at Hlane Royal National Park and Mkhaya Game Reserve following its training partnership with Big Game Parks.

How does tourism support conservation in Eswatini?

Big Game Parks states that its parks are self-sustaining through tourism and conservation revenues, while outside contributions help finance large projects. Tourism income can also support staff and reserve operations, as shown by the financial disruption caused when travel stopped during COVID-19.

What is the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area?

The Lubombo TFCA is a conservation partnership involving Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa. It aims to link biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural-resource use with socio-economic development.

What support do Eswatini’s rangers receive?

Documented support includes anti-poaching rations and protective equipment, human-rights and law-enforcement training, patrol and first-aid instruction, crime-scene management, evidence preservation and operational mentorship.

Why is protected-area funding a challenge in Eswatini?

A stakeholder survey found that 85% of respondents believed their protected areas were insufficiently funded to achieve conservation goals. The research also identified dependence on traditional funding and pressure from unsustainable resource use.

How can visitors support conservation in Eswatini?

Visitors can choose transparent operators, support community-linked experiences, follow wildlife-viewing rules, avoid sharing sensitive species locations and donate to credible conservation organisations with clearly described programmes.

Can I book a conservation-supporting safari in Eswatini?

Yes. Travellers can book safaris through SafariFind, but should check each property’s current policies on conservation funding, ranger support, community benefits and responsible wildlife viewing before booking.