Sahara Conservation
Sahara Conservation is an international nonprofit that conserves wildlife and ecosystems of the Sahara Desert and Sahelian grasslands through species reintroduction, protected-area management in Chad and Niger, and regional capacity-building, funded mainly by institutional grants and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSaint-maur-des-fossés, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sahara Conservation does
Sahara Conservation is an international nonprofit organization (legally Sahara Conservation Fund – Europe, a French loi 1901 entity headquartered in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France) dedicated to conserving wildlife and ecosystems of the Sahara Desert and adjacent Sahelian grasslands. Its work is organized around three programmatic pillars: Species Recovery (in situ conservation, reintroduction, reinforcement, research, and monitoring), Critical Conservation Landscapes (management of protected areas including the 78,000 km² Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve in Chad under a 10-year public-private agreement signed with the Government of Chad in July 2025), and Sharing Capacity (regional convening via the annual Sahel & Sahara Interest Group meeting and stakeholder engagement). It maintains country offices in France, the United States (Marana, Arizona), Niger (Niamey), and Chad (N'Djaména).
The organization applies conventional conservation science tools, including GPS satellite collars, drone surveillance, ecological line-transect surveys, and reintroduction protocols developed in collaboration with the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi, Smithsonian's National Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, the Zoological Society of London, and IUCN Specialist Groups. Its flagship technical achievement is the reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx, which was reclassified by IUCN from Extinct in the Wild (2000) to Endangered (2023), supported by over 500 recorded wild births in Chad. It also runs addax, dama gazelle, West African giraffe, vulture, and bustard programs, and has produced 100+ peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Sahara Conservation is funded primarily through institutional grants and donations rather than commercial revenue. Key institutional funders and partners include the European Union (LIFE Programme, Natur-OROA project), the World Bank, Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, IUCN, African Parks, the Band Foundation, and the Acacia Conservation Fund. Individual donor revenue is generated through an online donation portal offering monthly recurring gifts of €10/€20/€30 and one-time gifts of €15/€35/€70/€100 (66% tax-deductible for French taxpayers up to 20% of taxable income), supplemented by biannual Sandscript publication, annual reports, social media, and events such as the Wadis and Dunes Excellence Awards. No revenue figures are disclosed; scale commentary references 20 years of operations, 100+ scientific publications, 493 animals released into the wild since 2016, and 14,980 beneficiaries of community healthcare and dental missions since 2009.
Sahara Conservation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sahara Conservation
- Legal name
- Sahara Conservation Fund – Europe
- Website
- https://saharaconservation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Sahara Conservation is an international nonprofit that conserves wildlife and ecosystems of the Sahara Desert and Sahelian grasslands through species reintroduction, protected-area management in Chad and Niger, and regional capacity-building, funded mainly by institutional grants and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sahara Conservation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wildlife Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)
Keywords
Where Sahara Conservation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint-maur-des-fossés
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Sahara Conservation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Monthly recurring donation options |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time donation options |
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sahara Conservation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sahara Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that conserves the wildlife and ecosystems of the Sahara Desert and adjacent Sahelian grasslands. It delivers species recovery programs (reintroduction and reinforcement of critically endangered species including scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and West African giraffe), manages protected conservation landscapes in Chad and Niger, and runs the Sharing Capacity program that links local Saharan conservation agendas to global interests through events such as the SSIG annual meeting.
Product overview
Sahara Conservation is a nonprofit international organization dedicated to conserving wildlife and ecosystems of the Sahara Desert and adjacent Sahelian grasslands. The organization operates through three main programmatic areas: Species Recovery (in situ conservation, reintroduction, reinforcement, research and monitoring), Critical Conservation Landscapes (management of protected areas), and Sharing Capacity (connecting local agendas to global interests). They produce a biannual publication called Sandscript, manage protected areas in Chad and Niger, and conduct reintroduction programs for endangered species such as scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and West African giraffe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Species Recovery Program Long-term in-situ conservation, reintroduction, reinforcement, research, and monitoring of critically endangered Sahelo-Saharan wildlife species, including the scimitar-horned oryx, addax, dama gazelle, and West African giraffe. Delivered to government conservation authorities and partner zoological institutions in Chad and Niger.
- Critical Conservation Landscapes Effective management of protected areas and vital landscapes in the Sahel and Sahara for the benefit of wildlife and people, including the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve in Chad. Delivered to government conservation authorities in partnership with the European Union and other donors.
- Sharing Capacity Advocacy and capacity-sharing program that connects local Saharan conservation agendas to global interests, acting as a pipeline of resources to one of the most under-resourced parts of the world. Includes the annual Sahel & Sahara Interest Group (SSIG) meeting and the Wadis and Dunes Excellence Awards.
Quantifiable outcome
- 493 animals released into the wild since 2016 as part of reintroduction programs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sahara Conservation
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sahara Conservation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sahara Conservation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Government of ChadcoreIn July 2025, Sahara Conservation and the Government of Chad signed a historic 10-year management agreement for the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve (RFOROA). This public-private partnership formalizes over 20 years of collaboration and establishes a shared governance model for the 78,000 km² protected area.
- Environment Agency – Abu DhabicoreLed the initiative and provided funding for the scimitar-horned oryx reintroduction project, working in partnership with Sahara Conservation and the Government of Chad.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstitutecoreInternational conservation partner supporting species reintroduction programs and providing technical expertise for wildlife conservation in the Sahel.
- Zoological Society of London (ZSL)coreLong-term partner conducting joint wildlife monitoring surveys since 2011, including line transect surveys for bustard populations in Chad.
- Saint Louis ZoocoreZoo partner supporting the scimitar-horned oryx reintroduction program in Chad.
- Giraffe Conservation FoundationcoreLed the translocation of 12 West African giraffes to the Gadabeji Biosphere Reserve in 2018 and 2022, with Sahara Conservation providing support.
- IUCNcoreThrough IUCN Specialist Groups (Vulture Specialist Group, Antelope Specialist Group), contributing to conservation planning and species status assessments.
- African ParkscoreConservation organization managing protected areas in Africa, collaborating on shared conservation goals for the Sahel region.
- International Fund for Houbara ConservationminorPartnered with Sahara Conservation in 2016 to capture and tag nine Arabian bustards in Niger for monitoring movements and survival.
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteminorCollaborating with Sahara Conservation and ZSL to assess bustard populations and develop conservation programs.
- Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de GenèveminorPartnership announced in 2025 to unite expertise for Sahelo-Saharan biodiversity conservation.
- Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED)coreCo-organized the SSIG 2026 conference in Cairo in partnership with Sahara Conservation.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sahara Conservation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zoological Society of London (ZSL): ZSL is a direct peer and long-term partner of Sahara Conservation, conducting joint wildlife monitoring surveys since 2011 in Chad. Both share an evidence-led species conservation approach combining field research, reintroduction, and protected-area management.
- African Parks: African Parks is a direct peer — a nonprofit that partners with governments to manage protected areas across Africa, including long-term co-management agreements in the Sahel and Sahara region. Like Sahara Conservation, it focuses on species recovery, anti-poaching, and habitat management in under-resourced African landscapes.
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation: GCF is a direct peer and active partner of Sahara Conservation, having co-led West African giraffe translocations to Niger in 2018 and 2022. Both organizations share a species-recovery mission in the Sahelo-Saharan biome and operate with a lean, partner-driven model.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Smithsonian's NZCBI is an international conservation partner of Sahara Conservation supporting species reintroduction in the Sahel. It shares a comparable model of science-based species recovery and zoo-assisted breeding for reintroduction.
- Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute: Saint Louis Zoo is a direct peer and named partner supporting the scimitar-horned oryx reintroduction in Chad. Zoological institutions like Saint Louis Zoo provide captive breeding, husbandry expertise, and funding that mirrors Sahara Conservation's species recovery work.
Broad incumbents
- Wildlife Conservation Society: WCS is a broad incumbent in global wildlife conservation, operating across Africa with comparable protected-area management and species recovery programs. Unlike Sahara Conservation, WCS operates at a much larger scale and across many geographies.
- Fauna & Flora International: FFI is a broader incumbent in international species conservation with programs across Africa including the Sahel. It shares Sahara Conservation's wildlife reintroduction and habitat protection focus but operates globally and across many biomes.
- Conservation International: Conservation International is a broad incumbent operating global conservation programs including in African drylands and the Sahel. It shares a science-driven, partnership-based model but with significantly broader geographic and thematic reach.
Regional players
- Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS): OSS is an international organization focused on the Sahara and Sahel, addressing land degradation and desertification. It is thematically adjacent, sharing the same biome focus but with a mandate centered on land and water rather than wildlife species recovery.
Emerging players
- International Fund for Houbara Conservation: IFHC is an emerging/regional partner working on bustard and houbara conservation in the Sahara, having partnered with Sahara Conservation in 2016 to tag Arabian bustards in Niger. It shares a comparable niche focus on Saharan avifauna recovery.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Sahara Conservation social profiles
Digital presenceSahara Conservation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sahara Conservation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Sahara Conservation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sahara Conservation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sahara Conservation
What does Sahara Conservation do?
Sahara Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that conserves the wildlife and ecosystems of the Sahara Desert and adjacent Sahelian grasslands. It delivers species recovery programs (reintroduction and reinforcement of critically endangered species including scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and West African giraffe), manages protected conservation landscapes in Chad and Niger, and runs the Sharing Capacity program that links local Saharan conservation agendas to global interests through events such as the SSIG annual meeting.
Is Sahara Conservation a public or private company?
Sahara Conservation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sahara Conservation founded?
Sahara Conservation was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Sahara Conservation based?
Sahara Conservation is headquartered in Saint-maur-des-fossés, France, in the Europe region.
Who are Sahara Conservation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zoological Society of London (ZSL), African Parks, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute. Broad incumbents are Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna & Flora International and Conservation International. Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) is listed as a regional player. International Fund for Houbara Conservation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sahara Conservation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sahara Conservation.
What industry is Sahara Conservation in?
Sahara Conservation's product category is Wildlife Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAA, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAB, Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection. Its NAICS code is 813312.