Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust

What Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust does

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (VFWT) is a Zimbabwe-headquartered, independent non-profit conservation organization founded in 2008, operating across the KAZA / Southern Africa landscape with a focus on Hwange and Zambezi National Parks and surrounding communal lands. The organization runs an integrated portfolio of programs rather than a single product: rescue and rehabilitation of injured wildlife; snare removal; scientific wildlife research; species-specific conservation for lions, rhinos, and vultures; and community outreach addressing human-wildlife conflict (including alternative-livelihood initiatives such as rocket stoves).

Its core technical capability sits in the Wildlife Disease and Forensics Laboratory, which combines veterinary science with DNA fingerprinting and genetic profiling. Forensic specialists at the lab matched seized lion parts (meat, claws, teeth) to a radio-collared individual in their proprietary DNA database — achieving the world's first successful prosecution of wildlife criminals using individual lion genetic identification, with two poachers sentenced to two years' imprisonment in 2024. The organization also conducts ongoing disease surveillance and monitoring across Southern African ecosystems and operates a High-Care Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre at its Victoria Falls headquarters.

VFWT is funded through donations, fundraising events, facility tours, and grants, with registered charitable entities in Zimbabwe (primary), the United States (Victoria Falls Wildlife Fund, 501(c)(3) #98-6061293), and the United Kingdom (#1166614), enabling cross-border tax-deductible giving. It serves local communities facing human-wildlife conflict and supports Zimbabwean prosecutors and law enforcement through forensic evidence and technical assistance. Strategic partnerships with TRAFFIC and TRACE underpin its wildlife crime investigation work.

Name

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust

Legal name

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust

Website

https://vicfallswildlifetrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust is a Zimbabwe-based non-profit conservation organization operating across Southern Africa, running wildlife rescue, research, and forensic DNA programs alongside community outreach. It serves local communities, Zimbabwean law enforcement, and international donors through registered charities in Zimbabwe, the US, and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Veterinary Services (54194)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Wildlife forensics
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Anti-poaching operations
• Human-wildlife conflict mitigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Victoria

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust is a nonprofit conservation organization that delivers wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, community coexistence programs, and wildlife forensics services across Southern Africa. Its Wildlife Disease and Forensics Laboratory provides DNA fingerprinting and veterinary diagnostics used to investigate wildlife crime and convict poachers. Operating from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, the Trust serves local communities, government law enforcement, and partner NGOs working to protect lions, rhinos, vultures, and other species in and around Hwange and Zambezi National Parks.

Product overview

Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust is a conservation nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product. The core offerings include Rescue and Rehabilitation (treating injured wildlife), Wildlife Research (scientific studies), and Wildlife Disease and Forensics Laboratory (DNA forensics services). Specialized conservation programs target Lions, Rhinos, and Vultures, while Community Outreach programs address human-wildlife conflict and provide alternative livelihoods (rocket stoves). The Wildlife Forensics sub-program provides DNA fingerprinting to link seized animal parts to individual animals for criminal prosecution. The Countering Wildlife Crime program integrates research, community involvement, and technology to tackle wildlife crime. These programs collectively operate across Southern Africa, primarily in Zimbabwe near Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park, with additional operations in Zambia's Zambezi National Park.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rescue and Rehabilitation Program Wildlife rescue, treatment, and release program that rehabilitates animals harmed by human activity, including snare victims and injured wildlife across Zimbabwe and surrounding regions.
• Wildlife Research Scientific research program studying wildlife populations and ecosystems to develop evidence-based solutions for long-term conservation outcomes in Southern Africa.
• Wildlife Disease and Forensics Laboratory Laboratory facility providing veterinary and forensic science services, including DNA fingerprinting, disease diagnostics, and wildlife crime evidence analysis for law enforcement and conservation partners.
• Wildlife Forensics (DNA Fingerprinting) DNA fingerprinting and genetic analysis service that identifies individual animals from seized parts (meat, claws, teeth), linking wildlife crime to specific animals for prosecution. Successfully used in the world's first lion DNA forensic conviction in 2024.
• Community Outreach Community engagement program focused on sustainable solutions for human-wildlife coexistence, including conservation education and livelihood support for families in communal lands near protected areas.
• Countering Wildlife Crime Program integrating research, community involvement, and technology to investigate and prosecute wildlife criminals, including training for frontline law enforcement capacity.
• Lion Conservation Dedicated lion protection program including radio-collaring, population monitoring, and anti-poaching efforts across Southern Africa.
• Rhino Conservation Rhino protection and anti-poaching program focused on endangered rhinoceros populations in Southern Africa.
• Vulture Conservation Vulture population monitoring and protection initiative addressing threats to vulture species in Southern Africa.
• Snare Removal Field operations program to locate and remove illegal snares and traps set by poachers in wildlife areas across Southern Africa.
• Securing Zambezi National Park Protection and patrol operations program for Zambezi National Park to maintain biodiversity and sustain the integrity of the KAZA landscape.
• Disease Surveillance and Monitoring Ongoing monitoring of wildlife health and disease patterns across Southern Africa ecosystems to support veterinary and conservation interventions.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Elephants Program addressing elephant-human conflict mitigation in communities near protected areas in Southern Africa.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Predators Program addressing predator-human conflict including lion and other predator interactions with communities living near protected areas.
• Conservation Education Educational outreach program teaching local communities about wildlife conservation and environmental stewardship.
• Rocket Stoves Alternative cooking technology initiative reducing wood consumption and decreasing pressure on forests and wildlife habitat in communities near protected areas.
• Community Development Broader community development initiatives supporting sustainable livelihoods for communities near wildlife areas in Southern Africa.

Quantifiable outcome

• World's first successful lion DNA forensic conviction - two poachers sentenced to two years imprisonment in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TRAFFICcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024TRAFFIC provided support for the lion DNA forensics case. TRAFFIC is a wildlife trade monitoring network that works to ensure trade in wild animals and plants is not a threat to conservation.
• TRACEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024TRACE provided support alongside Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust and TRAFFIC for the landmark lion DNA forensic case. TRACE supports wildlife crime investigations through training and technical assistance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• African Wildlife Foundation: Pan-African conservation organization working across multiple species (including lions and rhinos) and landscapes, combining community programs, law-enforcement support, and protected-area management — overlapping mission with VFWT but at materially larger scale.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Global conservation organization operating field programs, law-enforcement support, and community initiatives across Africa, including rhino and lion protection. Overlaps with VFWT in species protection, forensics, and community engagement but at substantially larger scale.
• WWF: The largest global conservation organization, with significant African species programs (including rhino and lion) and substantial law-enforcement and community engagement capacity. Broadly overlaps with VFWT's portfolio but at global scale.

Others

• TRAFFIC: Wildlife trade monitoring network that supported VFWT's 2024 lion DNA case and provides broader anti-trafficking policy and enforcement support. Functionally adjacent rather than directly competing — operates as both a peer and partner in wildlife crime investigations.

Regional players

• Conservation South Luangwa: Zambian nonprofit operating wildlife crime, community, and conservation programs in the South Luangwa ecosystem, mirroring VFWT's anti-poaching, community outreach, and law-enforcement support model in a neighbouring country.
• Lewa Wildlife Conservancy: Kenya-based conservancy running rhino and predator conservation, community programs, and security operations. Operates a similar integrated model to VFWT (security, community, species-specific programs) but in East Africa.
• Ol Pejeta Conservancy: East African conservancy combining wildlife protection, community programs, and species-specific conservation (notably rhino). Comparable integrated model — conservation, community, and security — in a different African geography.

Direct peers

• Painted Dog Conservation: Zimbabwe-based nonprofit focused on painted dog (wild dog) conservation near Hwange National Park, combining research, community outreach, and anti-snaring work. Operates in the same geographic ecosystem and runs an overlapping portfolio of rescue, research, and community programs.
• Save the Rhino International: International rhino-focused conservation NGO supporting anti-poaching, monitoring, and demand-reduction work in range states. Directly comparable to VFWT's Rhino Conservation program in scope and approach.
• Panthera: Global big-cat conservation organization with an explicit focus on lions and other wild cats, including African lion population monitoring and anti-poaching. Highly comparable to VFWT's Lion Conservation program and its DNA-based forensic work on individual lions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vicfallswild
• Facebookfacebook.com/vicfallswildlifetrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/victoriafallswildlifetrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/victoria-falls-wildlife-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust