The SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 illness are driving a global crisis. Governments have responded by restricting human movement, which has reduced economic activity. These changes may benefit biodiversity conservation in some ways, but in Africa, we contend that the net conservation impacts of COVID-19 will be strongly negative. Here, we describe how the crisis creates a perfect storm of reduced funding, restrictions on the operations of conservation agencies, and elevated human threats to nature. We identify the immediate steps necessary to address these challenges and support ongoing conservation efforts. We then highlight systemic flaws in contemporary conservation and identify opportunities to restructure for greater resilience. Finally, we emphasize the critical importance of conserving habitat and regulating unsafe wildlife trade practices to reduce the risk of future pandemics.

SARS-CoV-2 病毒和 COVID-19 疾病正在引发一场全球危机。政府的反应是限制人员流动，这减少了经济活动。这些变化可能在某些方面有益于生物多样性保护，但在非洲，我们认为 COVID-19 的净保护影响将是非常负面的。在这里，我们描述了这场危机如何造成资金减少、保护机构运作受到限制以及人类对自然威胁加剧的完美风暴。我们确定了应对这些挑战并支持正在进行的保护工作所需的直接步骤。然后，我们强调当代保护中的系统性缺陷，并确定重组以增强复原力的机会。最后，