WWF's Secret War

WWF Admitted “Sorrow” Over Human Rights Abuses
A 160-page report, in response to a BuzzFeed News investigation, found long-standing failures at the celebrated wildlife charity.

WWF Says It Is “Troubled” By An Alleged Human Rights Violation At A Park With A History Of Violence
“Conservation should never come at the expense of human rights and well-being.”

A US Lawmaker Wants To Ban Funding For Conservation Groups That Support Human Rights Abuses
In the wake of a BuzzFeed News investigation, new legislation promises "to deter possibilities of future taxpayer-funded instances of torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings."

WWF Has Suspended Support For Rangers At A Major Nature Reserve After A Suspicious Death
Guards at Salonga National Park, backed by the global mega-charity, have been accused of gang rape and torture. Authorities there are now investigating a “tragic” discovery.

WWF Executives Were Warned Of Widespread Atrocities By Anti-Poaching Rangers The Charity Funded
A report sent to the global mega-charity’s director and board raised alarm about “accelerating” allegations of abuses being carried out “in connivance with and under the watchful eyes of WWF staff.”

The US Government Spent Millions Funding WWF-Backed Forces Accused Of Torture and Murder
The government is reviewing conservation grants worth $125 million after a BuzzFeed News investigation exposed how WWF-backed guards tortured and killed people.

WWF Is Investigating Two More Alleged Murders At A Park Where Rangers Are Accused Of Rape And Torture
The World Wide Fund for Nature is investigating an alleged double murder at a park it manages where rangers have already been accused of gang rape and torture. The global mega-charity said it is “deeply concerned for those affected by alleged abuse.”

Leaked Report: WWF-Backed Guards Raped Pregnant Women And Tortured Villagers At A Wildlife Park Funded By The US Government
Anti-poaching guards backed by the World Wide Fund for Nature have gang-raped women and tortured villagers by tying their penises with fishing lines, according to the charity’s own investigators. WWF told its partners to treat the findings in a “non-public fashion.”

Lawmakers Demand Internal Documents From WWF In Human Rights Probe Following BuzzFeed News Investigation
“Questions remain regarding the extent to which WWF was aware that entities it funded and equipped may have committed a wide range of human rights abuses."

Lawmakers Expand Inquiry Into Whether The US Funds Anti-Poaching Forces Accused Of Human Rights Abuses
In the wake of BuzzFeed News revelations that the World Wide Fund for Nature supports forces that have tortured and killed people, a congressional committee is investigating whether US government funding played a role.

Lawmakers Seek Review Of Whether US Funds Anti-Poaching Forces Accused of Human Rights Abuses
“The United States must not be party to violations of basic human rights,” a bipartisan committee wrote, citing a BuzzFeed News investigation.

WWF Must Overhaul Its Human Rights Policies, A German Investigation Has Found
WWF Germany has been warned of human rights failings by an independent investigation launched after BuzzFeed News exposed how anti-poaching forces funded by the global charity have tortured and killed people.

WWF Has Hired A Former Top UN Human Rights Official To Oversee Investigation Into Abuses Exposed By BuzzFeed News
The appointment comes amid mounting criticism from indigenous rights groups of the charity’s response to evidence that anti-poaching forces it funds have tortured and killed people.

WWF Says Indigenous People Want This Park. An Internal Report Says Some Fear Forest Ranger “Repression.”
The World Wide Fund for Nature claimed indigenous people supported a new national park in a filing to European Union funders — but concerns that the development would drive locals off their land and subject them to mistreatment by forest rangers are omitted from the document, obtained by BuzzFeed News.

A Leaked Report Shows WWF Was Warned Years Ago Of “Frightening” Abuses
The wildlife charity said it would investigate evidence of violence against indigenous people uncovered by BuzzFeed News. But internal documents reveal WWF had already commissioned an investigation that warned of human rights abuses in 2015.

WWF Funds Guards Who Have Tortured And Killed People
The beloved animal charity with the cuddly panda logo funds vicious paramilitary forces to fight poaching. A BuzzFeed News investigation reveals the hidden human cost.