Reorienting flagship species funding to support sustainable conservation efforts in developing countries

Conservation of large and iconic species in developing nations captures a considerable share of international funding. Flagship species with charismatic appeal and ecological importance, such as the Tiger, Elephant, Panda and Leopard, are used to get attention and funds. Although there are benefits, this approach also presents challenges by diverting attention from the broader ecosystem, including prey and habitat. Most flagship species-based approaches ignore key aspects of other species conservation and their ecosystem. Therefore, this paper discusses the effects that large mammal/flagship species-centred conservation funding has on developing nations and considers various integrated strategies for developing sustainable ecological outcomes. We do not intend to discourage flagship species-focused fundraising initiatives, but suggest that governments and other conservation authorities should expand their focus to wider ecological systems aspects such as habitat, prey-predator populations and human-wildlife interactions. This offers opportunities to bridge the gap between traditional ecosystem-based and individual species-based approaches and develop sustainable conservation funding strategies in which flagship species can serve as financial catalysts without detracting from, and preferably enhancing, ecosystem-level goals and give equal priorities for other species in developing countries.