Threatened Species Conservation Organization is a non-governmental organization (NGO) established according to the Ethiopian government Organizations of Civil Societies Proclamation No. 1113/2019. It was founded by two ecologists who have shared vision on nature conservation and worked more than 15 years in the field. The founders have engaged in ecological research, teaching, conservation and community service for 15 years with the support of various local and international organizations. From this long experience, the founders recognized threatened species conservation gaps, especially in South and Southwestern Ethiopia. In this part of the country, there are several less-studied threatened wildlife species. These species demand special conservation attention. In particular, the conservation of the transboundary species needs the collaborative work of Ethiopia and countries sharing boundaries. Believing that, TSC can play vital role in filling the gaps through conducting conservation, community development, research and awareness creation training activities to build community capacity by facilitating dialogue between stakeholders and policy development. In general, TSC is committed to work to reduce human-wildlife conflict, promote coexistence, improve threatened species conservation status, and improve local community livelihood and ecosystems services.
To see a country where the status of threatened wildlife species improved and local community livelihood sustainably developed.
Conserving threatened wildlife species and ecosystems using solutions that are sustainable, scientific and consider human needs.
The principles and values that lead the activities of the organization:
 Building transparent and reliable conservation systems
 Accountable use of nature
 Producing future conservationist
 Building strong partnership
 Holistic approach based conservation
 Developing strong community involvement

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Why is it important to conserve threatened species?

They are sign of ecosystem imbalance - Healthy ecosystems depend on plant and animal species as their foundations.

They are at risk of extinction: Extinction due to human and natural causes is irreversible

They have socioeconomic importance: for instance ecotourism, drugs, disease control industry

They have the right to survive: worth and inherent right to exist.

Objectives

  • To conserve threatened species and ecosystems.
  • To ensure sustainable socioeconomic benefit from threatened species.
  • To enhance human and wildlife coexistence by minimizing conflict.
  • To develop a national database of threatened species.
  • To increase public awareness, and build future conservationists.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorized species into nine: not evaluated, data deficient, least concerned, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in wild, and extinct  (Figure below). A threatened species is any species, which is vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. The threatened species are at risk of extinction due to rapid population decrease and critical habitat loss.  According to IUCN (2019), in Ethiopia about 131 threatened species have been living.