Africa's Vanishing Species

Behind the Cause

Our Luminescent Eye Shades were created to pay tribute to—and to benefit—six of Africa’s most endangered, vanishing species: the elephant, rhinoceros, cheetah, giraffe, lion and pangolin. All of these wild animals face common threats from shrinking habitats, conflict with humans, and illegal poaching, which make their long-term survival uncertain.

This launch is an exciting addition to Chantecaille’s permanent philanthropy collection—and the first exclusively for eyes. With it, Chantecaille will give back to six African wildlife conservation nonprofits selected by the brand for their notable impact.

Zebra

Grevy’s Zebra Trust

The Grevy’s Zebra is one of Africa’s most endangered mammals, with only 3,000 left in the wild, nearly all in Northern Kenya. Its survival depends on coexisting with local communities. Grevy’s Zebra Trust works with women, elders, warriors, and youth to monitor populations, protect zebras from poaching, and restore healthy grasslands for grazing.

Crane

Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association

A symbol of wealth and longevity, the Grey Crowned Crane is endangered by the illegal pet trade and habitat loss. Founded by Olivier Nsengimana, the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association is saving the country’s cranes by removing them from captivity and rewilding them, and campaigning to fight the illegal trade of birds and their eggs.

Cheetah

Cheetah Conservation Fund

90% of the world’s cheetah has vanished in the last century. Based in Namibia, Cheetah Conservation Fund is helping the planet’s fastest creature win the race for survival by building conservancies and teaching farmers how to manage their livestock with trained guard dogs, so humans and animals can thrive side by side.

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Lion

Lion Guardians

Kenya-based Lion Guardians transforms Maasai warriors who once killed lions into lion protectors, using their traditional knowledge and new technologies like GPS to monitor lions and protect communities. This empowers local people with both a sense of kinship with lions and the means to participate in their conservation.

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Elephant

Space for Giants

Space for Giants protects elephants in their habitat and the communities that surround them by investing in parcels of land, providing frontline security, boosting wildlife crime convictions, and stopping elephants from raiding people’s crops by building “smart fences” across Kenya, Gabon, Uganda and Botswana.

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Giraffe

Giraffe Conservation Foundation

There are only 111,000 giraffe left in Africa, a drop of 30% in 30 years. From their base in Namibia, Giraffe Conservation Foundation currently works with local and international partners in 15 African countries to save giraffe in their natural habitat, using methods like translocation and training local “giraffe guards” to track their movement.

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Rhinoceros

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Renowned for their work with elephants, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust also protects rhinos from poaching fueled by the demand for their horns. SWT recently helped expand the Meru National Park Rhino Sanctuary in Kenya, creating more space for rhinos and safe passage for other large species.

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Pangolin

Tikki Hywood Foundation

This shy, unique creature is the most trafficked mammal on the planet, coveted for its keratin scales, which are falsely believed to have medicinal properties. The Tikki Hywood Foundation in Zimbabwe focuses on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of the pangolin and other illegally traded animals across Africa.

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