Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON)

What Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON) does

Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON) is a Nigerian nonprofit founded in 2016 by Dr. Iroro Tanshi and Dr. Benneth Obitte, focused on community-led conservation of small mammals—primarily bats and pangolins—and their forest habitats across West Africa. Headquartered in Benin City, Edo State with a branch office in Calabar, Cross River State, the organization operates field programs across Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and the Oban Division of Cross River National Park, collectively protecting over 410,000 hectares. Its core programmatic offerings include a Wildfire Management Program that trains local Forest Guardians to prevent farm fires from entering protected habitats, the Park Biodiversity Observatory Network (Park-BON) deploying Audiomoth acoustic recording devices across five national parks for passive biodiversity monitoring, an Alternative Protein Project that establishes livestock farms to reduce hunting pressure on wildlife, and dedicated Species at Risk, Cave Protection, and Forest Restoration initiatives.

The organization's technical foundation combines passive acoustic monitoring infrastructure, GPS and PDA-based spatial data collection by community data technicians, and predictive wildfire modeling under development. Two permanent field facilities are being built out: the Afi Biodiversity Center (Fire Command Center, research hub, seedbank) and the Anape Natural Science Research Station at Obudu Plateau. Revenue is generated entirely through tax-deductible donations processed via partner Wildlife Conservation Network, individual donor subscriptions ($50-$1,000/month tiers), and grants from institutional funders including Whitley Fund for Nature, Future for Nature, Pangolin Crises Fund, Washington Research Foundation, National Geographic, UCLA Congo Basin Institute, and Campaign for Nature. Government partnerships with Cross River National Park and the Cross River State Forestry Commission provide field access and ranger coordination.

SMACON serves a hybrid stakeholder base: local farming communities surrounding protected areas who participate as Forest Guardians and seed collectors; the international conservation donor community; West African postgraduate researchers via the West Africa Mammal Fellowship; and Nigerian government conservation agencies. The organization has documented 100 distinct bat species in Nigeria (nearly one-third of African bat diversity), added 10+ new country records, kept Afi Mountain wildfire-free for five consecutive dry seasons since 2022, and trained 50+ community Forest Guardians. Co-founder Dr. Iroro Tanshi was awarded the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize, the first for bat conservation and grassroots science in Nigeria and the first for a Nigerian woman.

Name

Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON)

Legal name

Small Mammal Conservation Organization

Website

https://smacon-africa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SMACON is a Nigerian nonprofit (founded 2016) that runs community-led conservation programs protecting bats, pangolins, and forest habitats across ~410,000 hectares of Nigerian protected areas, funded by international grants and individual donations processed through Wildlife Conservation Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI), Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Community-led conservation
• Biodiversity monitoring
• Habitat restoration
• Species protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Benin, Edo

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible gifts received through partner Wildlife Conservation Network; individual donations via website; corporate and foundation grants
2. Grants and Funding Partnerships: Funding from organizations including Whitley Fund for Nature, Future for Nature, Pangolin Crises Fund, Campaign for Nature, UCLA Congo Basin Institute, Washington Research Foundation, National Geographic

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SMACON delivers community-led conservation programs that protect endangered small mammals (bats and pangolins) and their forest habitats across West Africa. Its portfolio centers on the Wildfire Management Program (training Forest Guardians to prevent farm fires from spreading into protected habitat), the Park Biodiversity Observatory Network (acoustic monitoring of bats, birds, and primates across national parks), Species at Risk Protection for the Short-tailed roundleaf bat, pangolins, and Egyptian fruit bat, plus supporting Cave Protection, Forest Restoration, and Alternative Protein livelihood programs.

Product overview

SMACON operates a conservation portfolio organized around community-led programs protecting small mammals and their habitats in West Africa. The core offerings include the Wildfire Management Program (training Forest Guardians to prevent farm fires from spreading), the Biodiversity Observatory Network (Park-BON) deploying acoustic monitoring devices across national parks, and Species at Risk Protection for endangered bats and pangolins. Supporting programs include Forest Restoration (native tree planting), Cave Protection, and the Alternative Protein Project (livestock farms to reduce hunting). Infrastructure includes two field stations (Anape Natural Science Research Station and Afi Biodiversity Center) serving as research hubs. Capacity building through the West Africa Mammal Fellowship, EcoEvo Book Scheme, and School Kids Program completes the portfolio. The programs work interdependently: wildfire prevention protects habitats, forest restoration heals damage, alternative protein reduces hunting pressure, and biodiversity monitoring tracks outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildfire Management Program Community-led wildfire prevention and response program that trains local Forest Guardians to stop farm fires from spreading into protected forest habitats, protecting biodiversity and local livelihoods in Cross River State, Nigeria.
• Biodiversity Observatory (Park-BON) Network deploying acoustic monitoring devices across Nigerian national parks to passively record and analyze wildlife sounds from bats, birds, primates, and other species to understand biodiversity trends.
• Alternative Protein Project Sustainable livelihood program that establishes livestock farms to provide alternative protein sources, reducing human-wildlife contact, hunting pressure, and zoonotic disease spillover risk for farming communities near protected areas.
• Species at Risk Protection Conservation program focusing on protecting endangered small mammal species including the Short-tailed roundleaf bat, Upland horseshoe bat, White-bellied pangolin, and Egyptian fruit bat across West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea Islands.
• Forest Restoration Reforestation initiative propagating native tree species for fire-damaged habitat recovery, with women from local communities (Kujo Women) collecting seeds from indigenous trees for planting in nurseries.
• Cave Protection Program Program providing continuous monitoring and protection of endangered bat species in caves, including the Short-tailed roundleaf bat's known maternity roosts in Cross River and Edo States.
• Anape Natural Science Research Station Field research station at the Obudu Plateau, featuring residential facilities for up to 25 people, teaching spaces, and wet and dry labs for acoustic and biomechanical studies supporting West African biodiversity research.
• Afi Biodiversity Center Permanent field camp at Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary serving as a Fire Command Center for wildfire management, a training and research hub for students and scientists, and a base for species monitoring and seedbank operations.
• West Africa Mammal Fellowship (WAMP) Fellowship program raising the next generation of in-country conservation scientists through virtual lectures, intensive field courses, grants, and mentorship across 7 West African countries.
• Bat Monitoring (Fruit Bat, Bat Surveys, Pangolin Monitoring) Species monitoring programs including Fruit Bat Monitoring (Eidolon monitoring), Bat Surveys, and Pangolin Monitoring conducted across West Africa as part of the long-term Bats of Nigeria Project.
• Human Wildlife Interaction Research Research program studying interactions between humans and wildlife in forest communities surrounding protected areas, including human dimensions of bat hunting and zoonotic disease ecology research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 consecutive wildfire-free dry seasons at Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary since 2022
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• UCLA Congo Basin InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA's Congo Basin Institute supported Iroro Tanshi's participation at COP16, providing international platform for SMACON's conservation message.
• Cross River National Park (CRNP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for wildfire prevention programs. CRNP rangers serve as supervisors for Forest Guardian program; collaborative training and patrols in Okwangwo and Oban divisions.
• Cross River State Forestry CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary management, forest restoration, and conservation programs. Representative attended Afi Biodiversity Center groundbreaking ceremony.
• Bat Conservation InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Cullen Geiselman, Board member of Bat Conservation International, provides advisory support. Historical connection through shared bat conservation mission.
• Tropical Fire Alliance (TFA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenting wildfire resilience photo exhibit with SMACON. TFA co-founded by Iroro Tanshi. Joint effort exploring wildfire, biodiversity, and resilience across tropical forests.
• University of WashingtonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIroro Tanshi conducted postdoctoral research at UW supported by Washington Research Foundation funding. Site for COP16 side event discussion on field station networks.
• University of BeninminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIroro Tanshi served as lecturer, contributing to local academic capacity building in Nigeria.
• Texas Tech UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Benneth Obitte conducts postdoctoral research in Dr. Kingston's lab, contributing to human dimensions of bat hunting research.
• Harrison InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Paul Bates, Director of Harrison Institute, serves as international mentor on SMACON Research Fellowship program for bat/rodent taxonomy.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society): Large global conservation NGO operating field programs across Africa including Nigeria/Cameroon, with similar species-protection and habitat programs but at much larger institutional scale.
• Whitley Fund for Nature: UK-based conservation funder that provides Whitley Awards and grants to grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South — a direct SMACON funder. Comparable as a wildlife/conservation funding ecosystem player with similar award portfolio.
• Fauna & Flora International: One of the world's oldest international conservation NGOs, working on species and habitat protection across multiple continents including Africa. Comparable as a large-scale conservation nonprofit with similar programmatic categories (species protection, capacity building, community partnerships).

Direct peers

• Re:wild: Global species conservation organization co-founded by conservation leaders, focused on protecting lost species and habitats through partnerships with local NGOs. Comparable in mission emphasis on overlooked species and local-partner model.
• Rainforest Trust: Conservation NGO focused on purchasing and protecting threatened tropical habitats and supporting partner-led conservation in biodiversity hotspots, including West/Central Africa. Comparable in tropical forest protection and partner NGO support.
• African Wildlife Foundation: Africa-focused conservation NGO working on habitat protection, wildlife species conservation, and community engagement across the continent, with comparable geographic focus and species-protection mandate.
• Bat Conservation International: The leading global bat conservation organization, with shared bat-focused mission, board-level overlap (Dr. Cullen Geiselman is former BCI board chair and current SMACON board member), and overlapping scientific outputs in bat taxonomy and habitat protection.
• Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN): WCN is SMACON's tax-deductible donation partner and a leading wildlife conservation umbrella that incubates and supports small, field-based conservation NGOs globally. Highly comparable as a peer nonprofit operating the same donation/grant-disbursement model for species protection.

Emerging players

• Pangolin Crisis Fund: Specialized fund supporting pangolin conservation globally — a direct SMACON partner funder. Comparable as an emerging, species-specific conservation funding body focused on overlooked African wildlife.
• Tropical Fire Alliance: Tropical wildfire-focused coalition co-founded by SMACON's Iroro Tanshi, working on fire ecology and resilience across tropical forests. Directly comparable in fire prevention and tropical forest conservation mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/smaconbats
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SMACONAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/pg/SMACONAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smaconafrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/smaconafrica

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Small Mammal Conservation Organization (SMACON)