Wild Nature Institute

What Wild Nature Institute does

Wild Nature Institute is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization, founded in 2010 and headquartered in New Hampshire, that conducts long-term scientific research on endangered wildlife (primarily Masai giraffes in Tanzania) alongside environmental education and advocacy programs. Its core scientific program is built around photographic capture-mark-recapture: field teams photograph individual giraffes whose unique coat spot patterns serve as natural identifiers, enabling the organization to monitor 6,300+ individuals across the Tarangire-Manyara and Serengeti-Ngorongoro ecosystems over a continuous 15-year survey window. The technology stack combines manual photographic surveys with AI-assisted computer vision for automated individual recognition (supported by Microsoft AI for Earth) and population-level demographic analytics. Complementary research includes the TUNGO (Tarangire Ungulate Observatory) program monitoring all ungulate species in the Masai Steppe and Western U.S. snag forest studies for spotted owls.

The organization's programmatic portfolio spans science, education, and direct action. Education products include the "Celebrating Africa's Giants" school program, the "Sinema Leo" multilingual children's video book roadshow (English and Swahili), and the Food4Thought school lunch program serving 1,900 children daily across three Tanzanian primary schools. Advocacy products include the Save The Giraffe campaign, the Northern Plains Migration Corridor Campaign, and the Forests For Everyone (44E1) initiative in California. The organization is founder-led by Dr. Derek Lee (CEO and Principal Scientist) and Dr. Monica Bond (Principal Scientist and CFO), supported by 8 named core staff in Tanzania and an extended international scientific collaborator network.

Wild Nature Institute's revenue model is donation- and grant-driven, with no publicly disclosed financials. Revenue streams include individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, the Adopt-A-Giraffe symbolic adoption program, and a novel giraffe-pattern-data NFT collection sold via OpenSea on the Ethereum blockchain. Distribution occurs through direct field operations in Tanzania, a global website, and a network of 20+ zoo partners (including Sacramento Zoo, Columbus Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, Toronto Zoo, and Tierpark Berlin) that provide fundraising support and donor engagement. Scientific collaborators include the University of Zurich, Penn State University, and the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology; field operations are coordinated with Tanzanian government agencies (TAWIRI, TANAPA, TAWA) and conservation partners such as PAMS Foundation and RISE/Grumeti Fund.

Name

Wild Nature Institute

Legal name

Wild Nature Institute

Website

https://wildnatureinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wild Nature Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts long-term field research on endangered Masai giraffes in Tanzania using AI-assisted photographic identification, alongside environmental education and advocacy programs serving schools and communities in East Africa and the Western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Research

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA), Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation research
• Environmental education programs
• Giraffe population monitoring
• Forest habitat protection
• Nonprofit conservation science

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Wild Nature Institute operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Primary revenue comes from individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships to fund scientific research, education programs, and conservation actions.
2. NFT Sales: Sale of Masai giraffe pattern data NFTs on OpenSea representing unique pattern data from wild giraffe encounters. Each NFT purchase supports Wild Nature Institute's science, education, and actions to protect Masai giraffes.
3. Adopt-a-Giraffe Program: Donors can adopt a baby giraffe through the website, receiving an adoption certificate and photo of a giraffe, with updates on research and conservation work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wild Nature Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts long-term scientific research on endangered wildlife — primarily Masai giraffes in the Tarangire and Serengeti ecosystems — using photographic identification surveys and demographic analysis. It also delivers environmental education programs in Tanzanian schools, runs school lunch and wildlife protection programs, sells giraffe-pattern data NFTs, and advocates for habitat and migration corridor conservation in both East Africa and the Western United States.

Product overview

Wild Nature Institute is a nonprofit conservation organization that operates as a science, education, and action program focused on protecting wild nature. Its core offerings include long-term Masai giraffe research using photographic identification surveys (monitoring 6,300+ giraffes), the giraffe pattern data NFT collection on OpenSea, the Sinema Leo environmental education roadshow with multilingual children's video books, the Food4Thought school lunch program, and advocacy campaigns for giraffe protection and wildlife migration corridors. The organization also conducts TUNGO ungulate population monitoring and advocates for California forest protection through the Forests For Everyone initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Food4Thought: A free school lunch program providing healthy meals to children at Esilalei Primary School and expanded to Jangwani and Baraka primary schools, reaching 1,900 children daily.
• TUNGO
• Forests For Everyone (44E1)
• Celebrating Africa's Giants
• Sinema Leo
• Giraffe Pattern Data NFTs

Products and services

• Masai Giraffe Research and Conservation Long-term photographic identification surveys of Masai giraffes in Tanzania and Kenya, tracking thousands of individuals by their unique spot patterns to monitor population demographics, survival, birth rates, and social behavior.
• Giraffe Pattern Data NFTs Limited-edition non-fungible tokens representing unique giraffe spot pattern datapoints used in published scientific research on heritability, sold via OpenSea with carbon-neutral offsets.
• Sinema Leo Environmental Education Environmental education roadshow featuring children's video story books in English and Swahili (e.g., Lucky the Wildebeest, Juma the Giraffe, Our Elephant Neighbours, Saving Brother Rhino), shown at rural Tanzanian villages and schools.
• Food4Thought School Lunch Program Free school lunch program providing healthy meals to children in underserved communities within the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem, currently feeding 1,900 children daily at three primary schools.
• Adopt-A-Giraffe Program Donation program allowing supporters to symbolically adopt a giraffe, receiving adoption certificates and photos while supporting giraffe conservation research and protection efforts.
• TUNGO (Tarangire Ungulate Observatory) Long-term monitoring program tracking populations of all ungulate species in the Masai Steppe ecosystem, including giraffes, wildebeest, zebra, and 15 other ungulate species.
• Northern Plains Migration Corridor Protection Campaign Campaign to safeguard wildlife migration routes critical for wildebeest, zebra, giraffes, and elephants through research, education, and advocacy.
• Forests For Everyone (44E1) Movement of California citizens advocating for US Forest Service lands to be managed for water and recreation rather than logging, proposing an expanded National Park Service management model.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000 children reached through environmental education programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PAMS FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAMS Foundation protects elephants and giraffes in the Tarangire Ecosystem through ranger patrols, anti-poaching efforts, and community support. Wild Nature Institute assists by monitoring wildlife populations and coordinating educational programs.
• RISE (Research and Innovation for the Serengeti Ecosystem)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE is an applied research program founded by Grumeti Fund in 2019. Wild Nature Institute collaborates with RISE for giraffe research in the Serengeti-Ngorongoro Ecosystem and to bring Celebrating Africa's Giants education program to schools.
• University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWild Nature Institute has ongoing collaboration with University of Zurich researchers, including Dr. Monica Bond as Postdoctoral Research Associate and Dr. Arpat Ozgul's population ecology research group.
• Penn State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Derek Lee was Associate Research Professor at Penn State (2018-2024). Collaboration includes giraffe genome sequencing and genetic studies with Dr. Doug Cavener.
• Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for wildlife research and conservation education in Tanzania. Dr. Doug Cavener serves as Adjunct Professor.
• Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment research institute providing support and coordination for wildlife research activities in Tanzania.
• Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency managing national parks including Tarangire and Lake Manyara where Wild Nature Institute conducts research.
• Tanzanian Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment authority overseeing wildlife management areas where Wild Nature Institute conducts research and conservation activities.
• Sacramento ZoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSacramento Zoo has donated $2,000 to support the Masai Giraffe Conservation Demography Project.
• Grumeti FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrumeti Fund founded and funds RISE (Research and Innovation for the Serengeti Ecosystem), supporting giraffe research and education programs.
• Manyara Ranch ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservancy within the Tarangire Ecosystem where Wild Nature Institute conducts ungulate and giraffe surveys.
• Randilen Wildlife Management AreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife management area adjacent to Tarangire National Park where conservation activities are conducted.
• Burunge Wildlife Management AreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife management area within the Tarangire Ecosystem for conservation collaboration.
• Wild Snake ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on snake conservation education in Tanzania, including Snake Blitz 2025 event reaching 550 children.
• TanEduminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational organization collaborating on environmental education initiatives in Tanzania.
• Ujamaa Community Resource TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based natural resource management organization in Tanzania.
• African Wildlife FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization working on wildlife protection across Africa, including Tanzania.
• Zoo Partners (20+ organizations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership network including Sacramento Zoo, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, The Living Desert, Tulsa Zoo, Tierpark Berlin, Cincinnati Zoo, Zoo Miami, Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, Toronto Zoo, Roosevelt Park Zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, and Lehigh Valley Zoo providing financial and promotional support.
• Eden ThrivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan organization that partnered to host Giraffe Camp in Naivasha, Kenya (October-November 2025) for 46 children from Nairobi.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Anne Innis Dagg Foundation: Foundation named after the giraffe researcher, focused on giraffe conservation awareness, education, and advocacy. Comparable as a giraffe-focused, science-informed advocacy nonprofit with which WNI already partners and brand-aligns.
• Giraffe Conservation Foundation: The leading giraffe-specific conservation NGO running range-wide surveys and conservation programs across Africa. Directly comparable to WNI as a species-focused NGO combining field research, education, and donor-funded advocacy around giraffes.
• PAMS Foundation: Tanzania-based conservation nonprofit operating anti-poaching patrols, ranger programs, and community education in the Tarangire Ecosystem alongside WNI. Directly comparable as a small, field-based wildlife NGO in the same geography with overlapping education and species-protection work.
• Grevy's Zebra Trust: Kenya-based nonprofit conducting long-term individual-based monitoring and community conservation for a single endangered species in northern Kenya. Comparable operating model to WNI's TUNGO and giraffe programs: targeted single-species science plus community-driven education and protection.
• Save Giraffes Now: Conservation initiative focused on protecting endangered giraffe populations through habitat preservation and community programs. Comparable as a giraffe-specific NGO combining research-backed advocacy with on-the-ground community engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Conservation Society: Major international conservation NGO running long-term field research programs at global sites, with education, advocacy, and zoo-based fundraising arms. Comparable model of science-driven, donor-funded conservation with global partnerships and media reach.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Large zoo-based conservation organization running long-term wildlife research (including giraffes and other megafauna), education, and field programs. Comparable as a research-driven, donation-funded organization where zoo operations fund and amplify conservation science.
• African Wildlife Foundation: Large, established Africa-focused conservation NGO operating across multiple ecosystems and species, including significant work in Tanzania. Comparable as a donor-funded nonprofit combining field science, community education, and habitat protection in East Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WildNatureInst
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildNatureInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildnatureinst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Wild Nature Institute