Wilderness Impact Challenge

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Changemakers, innovators, and environmental champions, we want you!

The inaugural Wilderness Impact Challenge 2025: Our Top 4 Finalists

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted their proposals the the Wilderness Impact Challenge. With over 140 submissions, the level of entries were exceptionally high and the competition fierce. Many are game-changing ideas.

 

After careful consideration, we are delighted to announce the finalists of the Wilderness Impact Challenge are:

BioBoundary Deterrents

Peter Apps is pioneering a predator deterrent system to reduce human-wildlife conflict. His project, BioBoundary Deterrents, creates scent-based invisible barriers to deter predators, like lions and leopards, from entering livestock areas. These deterrents can be deployed along perimeters or applied to livestock collars, offering a practical solution.

Unlike costly fencing or lethal control methods, this approach mimics natural scent marking, helping farmers protect their herds while promoting coexistence with wildlife.

Learn more about Wild Entrust Africa

Wildlife Tracking Reinvented

Traditional GPS tracking collars require frequent battery replacements, causing stress to animals and logistical challenges for researchers. In Zambia, Jonathan O’Connell is developing battery-free tracking tags, supported by environmental signal amplifiers, to enable long-term, low-maintenance wildlife monitoring.

This solution makes tracking more efficient, less disruptive to animals, and scalable for conservationists working in wilderness areas.

Learn more about Terrasense

From Plastic Waste to Building Solutions

Plastic pollution is a growing crisis in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where discarded plastic rapidly accumulates and is ingested by wildlife, particularly elephants. Plastic poisoning causes neurological distress, leading to erratic and aggressive behaviour, which increases human-wildlife conflict, such as elephant attacks on people.

Ben Norton’s Ele-Collection initiative addresses this urgent issue by removing plastic waste from the environment and transforming it into durable, eco-friendly building materials. This innovative solution not only reduces plastic pollution and safeguards wildlife but also creates jobs and provides local communities with sustainable, affordable construction alternatives; a win-win for people and conservation.

Learn more about Ele-Collection

AI-Powered Snare Detection

Wire snares are one of the most cruel and destructive poaching tools, injuring and killing countless animals. Graham Wallington’s project, AI-Powered Snare Detection, uses Synthetic Aperture Radar and Artificial Intelligence to locate snares from the air, allowing rangers to remove them quickly and efficiently instead of relying on time-consuming manual searches.

This technology enables conservation teams to cover vast areas, increase snare removal rates, and disrupt illegal poaching operations more effectively.

Learn more about Xeroth AI

The winner of the Wilderness Impact Challenge 2025 will be announced soon

Watch this space!

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Unpacking 'The Why'

With a USD 100,000 prize to bring the winning vision to life, this challenge builds on Wilderness' unwavering dedication to safeguarding Africa’s wild while addressing the urgent need for creative solutions to human-wildlife conflict.

 

We aim to foster an ongoing effort that seamlessly integrates conservation tourism with the latest thinking in innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship. Aligned with our impact strategy - the Wilderness Impact Challenge marks a bold step forward in our commitment to making a lasting positive impact on our world.

Cracking the Challenge Code
'The What'

Africa’s biodiversity faces growing threats as expanding human populations encroach on once-remote habitats, intensifying conflicts between communities and wildlife. Iconic species like elephants and lions are increasingly at risk, while farmers suffer crop losses and livestock predation, leading to deeper poverty and food insecurity. These problems call for innovative approaches that protect both people from wildlife and wildlife from people.

 

Recognising that traditional methods are not advancing quickly enough to meet today’s challenges, we’ve launched this initiative to ignite dialogue and engage a diverse, global audience. The goal is to inspire creativity and collaboration in finding innovative solutions to address critical issues and drive meaningful progress.

 

Guided by Wilderness’ three pillars – Educate, Empower, and Protect – this year’s challenge emphasises the Protect pillar. It invites entries that focus is on improving human-wildlife coexistence and strengthening wildlife security. Proposals should target the specific needs of wildlife protected areas and their surrounding communities in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda.

Solutions we're seeking

Types of entries to explore

2025 Wilderness Impact Challenge entries now closed

With entries now closed, we’re excited to dive into the innovative solutions you submitted to our inaugural Wilderness Impact Challenge.

 

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