WCS Madagascar

What WCS Madagascar does

WCS Madagascar is the Madagascar country program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a US-headquartered non-profit conservation organization. Founded in 1993 (with the program website copyright dating from 2007), the organization is headquartered in Antananarivo with a staff of 27 and operates across Madagascar's priority landscapes and seascapes, including MaMaBay, Makira Natural Park, Masoala National Park, Antongil Bay, and the southwest (Toliara) and northwest (Nosy Be) seascapes.

The program's core mandate is delegated management of Makira Natural Park (372,000 hectares) on behalf of the Government of Madagascar, executed in collaboration with 70+ local community groups. Service offerings span terrestrial and marine protected area management, applied conservation science, environmental education, community health, conservation enterprises, sustainable wildlife management, and ecological restoration including mangrove reforestation. The Makira Carbon Project extends the model into REDD+ carbon credit generation, and the Silky Sifaka Trail introduces eco-tourism revenue. Marine work supports 29 Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) via the MIHARI network.

The organization is funded through a diversified portfolio of institutional donors — Global Environment Facility, Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Helmsley Charitable Trust, Tany Meva Foundation, Australian High Commission, and the Global Partnership for Sharks and Rays — alongside parent WCS support. Technology infrastructure centers on the SMART Conservation Software platform for patrol tracking, illegal activity monitoring, and ecological data collection. Revenue mechanics blend restricted project grants, carbon credit sales, and donation channels via the parent WCS donation infrastructure.

Name

WCS Madagascar

Legal name

Wildlife Conservation Society

Website

https://madagascar.wcs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WCS Madagascar is a non-profit conservation program managing Madagascar's 372,000-hectare Makira Natural Park and supporting 29 marine areas, serving local communities, the Government of Madagascar, and coastal fishers through biodiversity protection and sustainable livelihoods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI), Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

Keywords

• Biodiversity conservation
• Protected area management
• Marine conservation
• Community-based conservation
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Antananarivo

HQ country

Madagascar

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WCS Madagascar operates field-based conservation programs across Madagascar's priority terrestrial and marine landscapes, including delegated management of Makira Natural Park (372,000 ha) and support for 29 Locally Managed Marine Areas. The program combines protected area management, community-based livelihoods, environmental education, applied conservation science, and the Makira Carbon REDD+ project to deliver long-term biodiversity conservation on behalf of the Government of Madagascar and in partnership with over 70 local community groups.

Product overview

WCS Madagascar operates as a single unified conservation program rather than a platform-based architecture. The organization's core offering is the WCS Madagascar website, which serves as both an informational portal and donation platform for the Wildlife Conservation Society's Madagascar operations. The portfolio encompasses protected area management (Makira Natural Park), marine conservation (multiple seascapes including Nosy Be, Toliara, and Antongil Bay), and community-focused initiatives including Local Livelihoods, Conservation Enterprises, Ecological Restoration, and Sustainable Wildlife Management. Additional offerings include research and monitoring capabilities, environmental education programs, and educational publications such as the Aro Natiora newsletter series and factsheets. The Makira Carbon Project provides carbon offset opportunities while the Silky Sifaka Trail offers eco-tourism experiences. The organization utilizes SMART conservation software for patrol monitoring and data collection across protected areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Makira Natural Park Management Delegated management of a 372,000-hectare terrestrial protected area in northeastern Madagascar, providing protected area management, ranger patrols, biodiversity monitoring, and community co-management with over 70 local community groups on behalf of the Government of Madagascar.
• Makira Carbon Project REDD+ carbon offset project in the Makira landscape that generates carbon credits through forest protection and sustainable land management.
• Marine Program Marine conservation initiatives including support for 29 Locally Managed Marine Areas through the MIHARI network, marine mammal research, and shark and ray protection programs.
• Conservation Science Program Applied research and scientific monitoring including biodiversity surveys, species population studies, seagrass mapping, and acoustic surveys that inform conservation strategies and document outcomes such as Silky Sifaka recovery.
• Environmental Education and Community Health Educational programs and community health initiatives that raise environmental awareness and build local capacity for sustainable practices, including the children's art program around Makira Natural Park.
• Local Livelihoods Initiative Programs supporting local communities in sustainable resource management and developing alternative income sources tied to conservation outcomes.
• Conservation Enterprises Sustainable livelihood programs that create economic incentives for local communities to participate in and benefit from conservation efforts.
• Ecological Restoration Habitat restoration initiatives including mangrove reforestation and ecosystem rehabilitation in degraded landscapes.
• Sustainable Wildlife Management Programs addressing bushmeat hunting and promoting sustainable harvesting of wildlife resources through community-based management approaches.
• Silky Sifaka Trail Educational trail circuit around the Simpona Ecolodge in Antsahabe forest, featuring 12 observation stations with quiz-based learning about Makira's biodiversity.
• SMART Conservation Software Deployment Deployment of SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) conservation software to record patrol results, track patrol coverage, and target future patrol efforts in protected areas such as Makira Natural Park.

Quantifiable outcome

• 51% reduction in slash-and-burn agriculture inside Makira Natural Park
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• COMBO Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2016Conservation, impact Mitigation and Biodiversity Offsets in Africa. Consortium of WCS, Biotope and Forest Trends implementing in Madagascar and three other African countries (Mozambique, Uganda, Guinea).
• Government of MadagascarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCS works on behalf of the Government of Madagascar to manage protected areas including Makira Natural Park. The organization collaborates with the Ministry of Environment, Ecology and Forests and the National Environmental Office (ONE).
• MIHARI NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs). WCS supports 29 LMMAs co-managed with local communities. WCS staff actively participate in the annual National Forum organized by MIHARI.
• MAKIRA Carbon Project PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCS manages the Makira Natural Park and associated carbon project. Collaboration involves GEF Satoyama program for socio-ecological production landscape monitoring.
• LAFA Forum PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLAFA Forum is a network of Madagascar's terrestrial protected area managers. Led by WCS in partnership with Fanamby, GiZ, and Madagascar Biodiversity Fund (FAPBM) with funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
• UNEPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Environment Programme provides implementation support for the GEF Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project.
• Convention on Migratory Species' Dugong MoU SecretariatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides technical support for dugong conservation efforts in Madagascar.
• Rogue FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with WCS in New York to implement a children's art program around Makira Natural Park. Artwork auctioned to fund future conservation activities.
• CPALI/SEPALIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the children's art program around Makira Natural Park.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fauna & Flora International (FFI): FFI runs established species- and habitat-protection programs in Madagascar (including lemur-focused initiatives), sharing WCS's mix of community engagement, applied conservation science, and PA co-management.
• Conservation International Madagascar: CI's Madagascar program focuses on protected-area management, climate finance, and community partnerships in marine and terrestrial hotspots, making it one of the closest direct peers to WCS in scope and approach.
• Blue Ventures: Blue Ventures is a community-led marine conservation organization with deep operations in southwest and northwest Madagascar (LMMAs, coastal fisheries, mangroves) — directly comparable to WCS Madagascar's marine program and 29 supported LMMAs.
• WWF Madagascar: Country program of WWF operating across Madagascar's terrestrial and marine priority landscapes/seascapes on biodiversity, climate, and community-based natural resource management — directly comparable in mandate, geographic footprint, and funding model to WCS Madagascar.
• Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust: Durrell operates species-recovery and PA-management programs in Madagascar focused on lemurs and threatened habitats, mirroring WCS's species-protection (Silky Sifaka) and protected-area management work.
• Madagascar National Parks (MNP / ANGAP): MNP is the parastatal body that co-manages Madagascar's network of national parks, including Masoala which WCS works in. It is the closest national-level peer and counterpart to WCS's PA management activities.
• Missouri Botanical Garden – Madagascar Program: MBG's long-running Madagascar program focuses on biodiversity inventories, ecological restoration, and community-based conservation — closely analogous to WCS's conservation science and ecological restoration initiatives.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: TNC is a broad global conservation incumbent working across marine and terrestrial systems, including Africa. It is comparable to WCS as a portfolio-level incumbent though less specialized in Madagascar than WCS is.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (global): The parent organization of WCS Madagascar, WCS operates zoos and field programs across dozens of countries. As the wider umbrella, it is the incumbent reference point for WCS Madagascar's mission, brand, and overall funding pipeline.

Regional players

• Mikajy Natiora: A Madagascar-based conservation NGO focused on lemur habitat protection and community stewardship, operating in similar forests and with similar community-based approaches as WCS Madagascar's terrestrial work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wcs_mada
• Facebookfacebook.com/WCSMada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wcs-madagascar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 WCS Madagascar