Since 2017, Southern Tanzania Elephant Program (STEP) and the Tanzania Forest Service Agency (TFS) have collaborated to enhance protection programs in the Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve (USNFR). The USNFR is a biodiversity hotspot (high density of endemic and IUCN-Endangered species) in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains covering 32,000 hectares, surrounded by 19 adjacent villages across three districts of the Iringa and Morogoro Regions. The COVID-19 pandemic limited protection efforts in the USNFR in 2019-2020, resulting in the loss of national and international funding. This led to an abrupt decrease in protection activities during a critical period for the reserve. To restore the situation, this solution was established aimed at preventing the local extinction of threatened species and improving societal benefits. It involved increasing community involvement, building the capacity of patrol teams, and use of data for decision-making. This solution resulted in a significant increase in the protection of the USNFR.