Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2026

The Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2026: Running #ForWildlifeRangers in the Lower Zambezi

Every day, the men and women who patrol the Lower Zambezi National Park walk into some of Zambia's most remote and demanding terrain to protect the elephants, lions, leopards and countless other species that call this valley home. This September, CLZ is once again standing behind them by taking part in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2026.

What is the Wildlife Ranger Challenge?

Launched in 2020 by Tusk and the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA) to keep rangers employed through the Covid-19 crisis, the Wildlife Ranger Challenge has grown into the largest celebration of the ranger profession on the continent. Since its founding, it has raised over $25 million, supporting more than 11,500 rangers across 24 African countries and benefiting over half a million people in the communities that surround protected areas.

The Challenge is far more than a single race day. Over several months, ranger teams from across Africa train together and compete in a series of physical and mental tests, including:

• A ranger quiz testing conservation and field knowledge
• Push-up and sit-up challenges to build strength and camaraderie
• A time trial run in preparation for race day
• The signature event: a coordinated 21km race, the men carrying 22kg of kit and the women carrying 10kg, held simultaneously by ranger teams across their own landscapes

This year's race day falls on 19 September 2026, when teams from dozens of countries will link up together, joined by supporters around the world running in solidarity under the hashtag #ForWildlifeRangers.

What it means for Conservation Lower Zambezi

CLZ is proud to be a funded partner of the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, representing the rangers and scouts working across the Lower Zambezi National Park and its surrounding Game Management Areas. Our team supports the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) through anti-poaching foot patrols, a dedicated K9 detection unit, a Rapid Deployment Team, and community scout units who patrol some of the toughest and most remote bush in Zambia.

Taking part in the Challenge means:

• Funding on the front line — money raised goes directly toward ranger salaries, equipment, training, insurance and welfare support for the teams protecting the Lower Zambezi ecosystem.
• Recognition for an often invisible job — rangers are anti-poaching officers, trackers, first responders, community liaisons and educators all at once. The Challenge puts a global spotlight on that work.
• Connection and camaraderie — our rangers train and compete alongside teams from other landscapes across Africa, building a network of support that spans the continent.
• A boost to morale — for teams working long stretches in isolated bush camps, the Challenge is a rare chance to be celebrated publicly for the risks they take every day.

In past years, CLZ's rangers have punched well above their weight — our team has taken home top honours in the Women's Sit-Up Challenge, and every year our rangers complete the full 21km carrying full kit, representing the Lower Zambezi on the world stage.