Chengeta Wildlife

What Chengeta Wildlife does

Chengeta Wildlife is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 by Rory Young, headquartered in Lacey, Washington, with a Dutch-registered sibling entity (Stichting Chengeta Wildlife Benelux) in Amsterdam and a primary field office in Bayanga, Central African Republic. The organization delivers anti-poaching capacity building to national wildlife authorities, protected-area management bodies, and indigenous communities across Africa and, more recently, South America. Its core offerings include accredited field-ranger and ranger-leadership training programmes (City & Guilds and ILM accredited), an Anti-Poaching Doctrine and Methodology, Counter-Trafficking and Investigations Training, Operations Room development, Geospatial Analytics, and a Community Representative (ReCo) programme. The underlying "Five Pillar Doctrine" (Harmonize, Analyze, Train, Mentor, Empower) structures engagements as multi-year, multi-phase deployments rather than one-off workshops.

The organization's business model is that of a specialized grant-funded NGO. Revenue is sourced from institutional grants (including the EU, WWF, WILD Foundation, and Helvellyn Foundation), individual donations, and a small online merchandise channel. Chengeta does not sell training as a commercial service; rather, it partners with host governments and conservation funders to fund ranger cohorts, operational support, and infrastructure buildouts such as operations rooms. Since inception, the organization reports training more than 2,000 rangers across 13 countries and 20+ protected areas, with active deployments in Salonga National Park (DRC, 273 ecoguards), Dzanga-Sangha (CAR, 100 rangers), Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mali, and new entries in Brazil (Yawanawá, 2025) and Ethiopia (Bale Mountains, 2026). Founder Rory Young died in April 2021; the organization has continued operations under subsequent leadership.

Name

Chengeta Wildlife

Legal name

Chengeta Wildlife USA

Website

https://chengetawildlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chengeta Wildlife is a US-registered nonprofit that trains and mentors rangers, builds operations rooms, and runs community programmes to combat poaching across 13 countries in Africa and South America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Cruelty Prevention, Investigation & Humane Law Enforcement (BPAGAIAG), Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG)

Keywords

• Anti-poaching training
• Wildlife conservation services
• Ranger capacity building
• Conservation law enforcement
• Community-based conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lacey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Primary revenue stream from individual donors, institutional donors, and charitable foundations. The organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) charity in the USA (EIN: 46-5485977) and has ANBI status in the Netherlands (858855653).
2. Online Merchandise Sales: Sale of official Chengeta merchandise through their online shop (Bonfire store), with proceeds funding ranger training programs.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Grants: Funding from institutional partners including WWF, European Union, WILD Foundation, and other conservation organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chengeta Wildlife is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) conservation organization that delivers anti-poaching training, conservation law enforcement support, and community-based wildlife protection programs. The organization builds ranger capacity, equips wildlife protection units, and develops accredited curriculum and doctrine used by protected area authorities across multiple African and South American countries.

Product overview

Chengeta Wildlife operates as a conservation organization providing anti-poaching training and capacity-building services rather than a technology product company. Their core offerings include two accredited training programmes (Basic Ranger Programme via City & Guilds and Basic Ranger Leadership Programme via ILM), an anti-poaching doctrine methodology, and ecoguard training services. Additional offerings encompass counter-trafficking investigations training, operations room infrastructure development, geospatial analytics, and the Communities Programme focused on community empowerment in protected areas. The organization functions as a services provider for wildlife protection rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anti-Poaching Training Programs Training programs that build ranger skills to detect, deter, and respond to poaching threats, designed for wildlife protection units, rangers, and conservation enforcement staff.
• Conservation Law Enforcement Support Advisory and operational support for government wildlife authorities, helping design and implement anti-poaching strategy, ranger deployment, and protection operations in protected areas.
• Five Pillar Doctrine (Ranger Doctrine/Curriculum) Proprietary doctrine and curriculum used to train rangers and wildlife protection units, integrating tactics, intelligence, community engagement, welfare, and conservation outcomes.
• Community-Based Conservation Programs Programs that engage local communities living near protected areas in wildlife protection efforts, supporting coexistence and local stewardship alongside ranger operations.
• City & Guilds / ILM Accredited Training Certification Accredited ranger training certifications delivered through City & Guilds and ILM accreditation pathways, enabling trainees to receive recognized professional credentials in anti-poaching and conservation work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Arrests increased by 300% in Malawi during 3-year training period
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• WWF (World Wildlife Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor conservation partner collaborating on wildlife protection and community engagement initiatives, including work in Salonga National Park and Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas.
• WILD FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in anti-poaching operations and community work, providing intelligent approaches to conservation in Mali and other areas.
• Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment conservation body in DRC partnering to train ecoguards in Salonga National Park, Africa's largest protected rainforest.
• City & GuildscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational accreditation body providing assured status for Chengeta's Basic Ranger Programme, giving rangers recognized, transferable credentials.
• ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation partner for the Basic Ranger Leadership Programme, supporting career growth and professional development.
• JOLTS Consulting LimitedsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting partner collaborating with City & Guilds and ILM on international accreditation of ranger training programs.
• Lion ALERTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing operational partner co-funding and co-developing anti-poaching training programs across Africa since the organization's early days.
• University of CoventrysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing assistance in developing training methodologies and enhancing professional credibility of ranger training.
• Action Against PoachingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit partner providing specialized C-IED and anti-mine training for rangers operating in high-risk areas like Mali.
• Salonga National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest protected rainforest in Africa, key site for ecoguard training in partnership with ICCN and WWF.
• The DM LabsupportingTechnology or IntegrationDigital agency providing website and technical support services.
• United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN agency organizing and funding training initiatives in countries like Guinea.
• Sangha Pangolin ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal research initiative in Dzanga-Sangha working on pangolin conservation and community awareness.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Peace Parks Foundation: Facilitates transboundary conservation areas (TFCA) in southern Africa, working with governments on ranger capacity and protected-area management. Same mission profile as Chengeta but anchored in southern Africa rather than central/west Africa.

Direct peers

• WILD Foundation: Co-funds Chengeta's anti-poaching work in Mali and other landscapes and sits at a similar size/mission profile. Comparable on community-led conservation (WILD has co-developed frameworks with Chengeta), with overlapping Indigenous Peoples focus.
• African Parks: African Parks manages 20+ protected areas across Africa under long-term PPP-style agreements with host governments. Compared to Chengeta it is far larger but solves the same problem set: professionalizing ranger workforces and conservation law enforcement in high-risk parks (including Salonga-adjacent sites).
• Fauna & Flora International (FFI): International conservation NGO with anti-poaching programs, ranger capacity building, and protected-area management across Africa and beyond. Sits in the same peer tier as Chengeta on training+community model design.
• African Wildlife Foundation: Pan-African conservation NGO with significant work on wildlife law enforcement training and community engagement across eastern and central Africa. Operates in overlapping countries and serves a similar mix of national park authorities and community partners.
• PAMS Foundation: Tanzania-based anti-poaching NGO that trains and equips ranger units in the Serengeti, Selous, and Ruaha ecosystems. Directly comparable to Chengeta on ranger training, doctrine development, and community engagement in wildlife crime hotspots.
• International Anti-Poaching Foundation: Founded by former Australian commando Damien Mander, IAPF trains and equips rangers across southern and eastern Africa. It is the closest direct competitor on anti-poaching capacity building and operates in overlapping geographies (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa).

Broad incumbents

• WWF (World Wildlife Fund): Global conservation giant and Chengeta's named partner on Salonga and Dzanga-Sangha. Provides adjacent capacity building, anti-trafficking, and protected-area programming at vastly greater scale than Chengeta.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Operates field conservation projects across Africa (including DRC, CAR, Tanzania) with focus on anti-poaching, ranger training, and counter-wildlife-trafficking. Same customer base (national park authorities) and similar theory of change to Chengeta.

Emerging players

• Virunga Foundation: Supports Virunga National Park in DRC (near Salonga) through ranger programs, eco-tourism, and community development. Smaller geographic footprint than Chengeta but directly comparable on ranger professionalization and DRC operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/chengetawild?lang=en
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/chengetawildlife
• Facebookfacebook.com/chengetawildlife
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chengeta-wildlife
• Instagraminstagram.com/chengetawildlife

Compliance2 records

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 Chengeta Wildlife