Somali Wildlife and Natural History Society

Partner Snapshot

Partner

Somali Wildlife and Natural History Society (SWNHS)

Location

Mogadishu, Somalia, Africa

Urgent Appeals

None currently

Date Founded

2015

Website

somaliwildlife.org

Partner Qualifications

About Somali Wildlife and Natural History Society

The Somali Wildlife and Natural History Society (SWNHS) is Somalia’s leading independent conservation organization led by Somali scientists. After decades of conflict, Somalia’s environmental institutions remain fragile and much of the country’s wildlife has never been systematically surveyed. SWNHS fills that gap—conducting field research, running environmental education in schools and communities, and advising the federal government on conservation strategy.

The Society works through specialized teams covering birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, fish, flora, threatened species, environmental law enforcement, and climate change—giving SWNHS the breadth to respond wherever Somalia’s biodiversity is most at risk.

Their Challenges

Somalia holds one of Africa’s longest coastlines and a vast mosaic of drylands, riverine forests, and marine habitats—yet its biodiversity is under heavy pressure and severely under-monitored.

Recurring drought and climate change are accelerating desertification, pushing pastoralist communities toward charcoal production and overgrazing. Iconic species—elephants, cheetahs, sea turtles, and the bustards of Somalia’s drylands—face habitat loss, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, and a domestic ivory market that continues to operate. Weak enforcement and limited baseline data make a coordinated response difficult.

Their Approach

SWNHS pairs Somali field expertise with rigorous science and direct community engagement. Recent and ongoing work includes:

Elephant conservation. With Save the Elephants, SWNHS completed 150 community interviews across Lower Juba and Gedo, mapping reported elephant movements and human–elephant conflict.
National wildlife survey. The 2024 Regional Wildlife Survey Report, prepared with the Somali National Museum, synthesized 142 wildlife records from six regions.
Marine biodiversity and the ivory trade. SWNHS conducted a rapid assessment of the domestic ivory market with Stop Ivory (UK) and documents the illegal trade in sea turtles and other marine wildlife.
Natural history knowledge products. In 2024 SWNHS published the first Checklist of the Birds of Somalia; a companion Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Somalia is also in circulation.
Protected areas and policy. SWNHS led the biodiversity assessment of Lag Badana–Bushbushle National Park, advises IGAD on marine biodiversity, and supports the Ministry of Livestock, Forest and Range in building Somalia’s first national biodiversity data center.
Education and awareness. School visits, community workshops, and public outreach build the next generation of Somali conservationists.

Why They Need Your Help

Somalia’s wildlife has been invisible to global conservation for far too long, and small Somali NGOs like SWNHS receive a tiny fraction of the international funding that flows to better-known regions.

Through Conservation Allies, 100% of your donation goes directly to SWNHS—to fund the field surveys, community engagement, and scientific work that will determine whether Somalia’s elephants, sea turtles, and unique drylands have a future.