Peter Fearnhead and a few like-minded South Africans founded African Parks in 2000. It’s expansion has been little short of breathtaking. Without much fanfare, though with the assistance of heads of state, it has quietly accrued management control of 22 parks in 12 countries, with a total area of 20mn hectares. That’s roughly the size of Britain. Behind it stand some of the biggest donors in conservation, mostly Americans and Europeans. The late Paul Fentener van Vlissingen, who made his money trading with apartheid South Africa, was an early contributor. A family endowment covers much of African Parks’ overheads. Other big donors include Howard Buffett, son of Warren, as well as the EU and the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. In 2021, Rob Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune, pledged $100mn over five years, one of the biggest single donations in the history of conservation.
Friday, April 18, 2025 - 02:24:53
Ashburn, United States | 12°C | Scattered clouds 🎉 Celebrating 15 years with you, we're updating our look and feel! Please excuse any disruptions as we bring our site up to date for an even better experience.
