The event, Endangered Rangers, is being organised by The African Community & Conservation Foundation (ACCF) and will feature other international stars including multi-platinum recording artiste and former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks; two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou; serial entrepreneur and Shark Tank favourite, Daymond John; Emmy Award winner Debra Messing; actress Loretta Swit, Sheikh Abdul Aziz , otherwise known as the “Green Sheikh”; British fine art photographer David Yarrow; Chief Jim Ogimaa; and 11-year old animal advocate, Kate Gilman Williams.
“I stand with and on the behalf of the young Rastafari community of the world, especially on behalf of the CHOR Foundation here in Jamaica. We send our love and support to the rangers out there in Africa, who stand at the heart of humanity and the heart of the preservation of our natural life as human beings and for many creatures," Chronixx said in a press release.
He added, "One of the things about being human is about using your strength and using your power of unity to bring about balance in creation. We really extend our support by way of our talent and in every single way possible.”
CEO of ACCF, Brady Forseth said: "Chronixx has one of the most caring and sharing hearts which is evident from the amazing work he continuously does not only for the people of Jamaica through his CHOR Foundation's mission and purpose - but he also understands the current need for the plight of the people and the wildlife that are being affected by the pandemic!"
Endangered Rangers will air live Sunday, December 13, at 6pm on KNEKT TV (https://www.knekt.tv/pages/welcome-to-knekt-tv/h/home) and will be available on Roku and Apple TV as well as streamed on Facebook, YouTube, & EndangeredRangers.com.
Sparks will be performing a song from her new album, “Cider & Hennessy.”
According to the press release, helping the rangers during the pandemic means saving the lives of thousands of endangered species as COVID-19 has accelerated the already ominous threats to their preservation. The loss of conservation revenue, up to 90 per cent in eastern and southern Africa, is crippling ranger livelihoods and creating security issues. The reduction in ranger patrols and visitors draws out brazen poachers putting more animals at risk, accelerating already unbelievable timelines for the eradication of key species, and derailing the considerable progress made in wildlife conservation. There has been an exponential increase in reports of poaching incidents, bushmeat seizures, and wire snares, the release said.
In an effort to counteract the domino effect COVID-19 has triggered, proceeds from the event will go towards forward-looking organizations developing innovative, scalable, and effective anti-poaching initiatives - the African Community & Conservation Foundation in partnership with the Grumeti Fund and The Malilangwe Trust, and Zambezi Partners in partnership with Wild is Life. They were brought together through their shared mission to preserve African wildlife through the eradication of poaching using transformative community programs and advanced technologies. In addition to critical ranger support, this fundraiser supports initiatives which inform the development of anti-poaching hardware and software solutions such as AI cameras, predictive analytic platforms, event visualization tools, animal trackers, and secure communication networks. The field testing and data collected from the beneficiaries of Endangered Rangers will be shared with the wider conservation community to help advance innovation across the broader ecosystem.to making solutions more inclusive of the variances among the over 7,800 protected areas in Africa.
“The beneficiaries of Endangered Rangers represent African reserves at varying stages of technology deployment,” said Jenna Seiden, co-founder of Zambezi Partners. “Ranger intelligence is vital in the evolution of these anti-poaching solutions, which is why their health and safety is our first priority."
The Endangered Rangers virtual fundraiser will spotlight the specific challenges the coronavirus has added to anti-poaching operations in light of the fact that keystone species like the African elephant and lion are already being threatened with extinction within decades, according to the release. “We are harnessing our relationships here at home to provide for the people in Africa who provide for the animals. We have so many success stories in the making, such as our rhino relocation program, that we cannot let the pandemic set us back,” said Forseth, adding “Our rangers are the heart of operations and the eyes and ears for the wildlife. We are simply overjoyed with the response.”
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