San Francisco, CA (November 11, 2022) Today WildAid announced that Founder Peter Knights, OBE, is leaving WildAid to form a new charity focused exclusively on conservation efforts in Africa.
“For more than two decades, Peter Knights has focused on designing and implementing demand reduction communications campaigns throughout the world. His award-winning high-profile programs have resulted in dramatic reductions in the illegal trade of wildlife products, including elephant ivory, rhino horns, and shark fin soup. The WildAid team is grateful for Peter’s extraordinary contributions to WildAid,” said WildAid CEO Hank Lynch.
His new charity, Wild Africa Fund, will be run jointly with his wife, Corie, and draw upon expertise from across Africa. Knights said “I want to take my global experience to help create a future in Africa where the people, the wildlife, and the environment can thrive together.”
“WildAid will continue to pursue innovative and impactful programs designed to protect wildlife from critical threats around the globe,” added Lynch. “In Africa, we are actively working in Cameroon, Tanzania, Uganda, and Gabon to end poaching, illegal trafficking, and bushmeat consumption of key iconic and endangered species through engaging social change campaigns—along with expanded efforts to protect marine reserves in Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Gabon. We are confident that Peter’s new venture will only help ongoing efforts to protect endangered species in Africa.”
Knights’ Wild Africa Fund, based out of South Africa, will focus on mass communications aimed at changing public and policy makers’ attitudes on poaching, habitat loss, and human wildlife conflict. It will also promote international and domestic wildlife tourism and support local wildlife organizations and the newly-emerging carbon offset industry as a new source of conservation and sustainable development funding.
“Peter is a visionary who transformed the way that wildlife conservationists think about protecting endangered species. The WildAid Board congratulates him on his new venture and looks forward to collaborating with him going forward as part of the ongoing fight to protect wild animals in Africa,” said Robin Ferracone, WildAid Board chair.
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WildAid is a non-profit organization with a mission to protect wildlife from illegal trade and other imminent threats. While most wildlife conservation groups focus on protecting animals from poaching, WildAid primarily works to reduce global consumption of wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and shark fin soup. With an unrivaled portfolio of celebrity ambassadors and a global network of media partners, WildAid leverages more than $308 million in annual pro-bono media support with a simple message: When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too.
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