Lion Landscapes

LION LANDSCAPES

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We are supporting leading international lion conservation organisation Lion Landscapes on their groundbreaking work they do for African lions.

Many species, such as lions, require huge landscapes, including land relied on by local people. At Lion Landscapes their goal is to engage and empower people to gain meaningful value from wildlife conservation, enabling better coexistence and helping to support the healthy landscapes that are so vital to wildlife conservation.

Collaboration is central to their ethos and by building strong partnerships Lion Landscapes deliver innovative conservation solutions across vast areas in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.  Their approach works to stop the loss of lions and other wildlife, reduce the cost of wildlife presence for local people, and unlock the value of living with wildlife, especially for local communities.

Here we tell you why Lion Landscapes work is so impactful:

Wildlife faces many threats, including habitat loss, illegal hunting, snaring and poisoning. In many areas people kill lions and other dangerous animals to protect their livestock and families. In each Lion Landscapes site, they design and implement appropriate solutions to reduce threats to lions and other wildlife.

Living alongside dangerous wildlife threatens livelihoods through attacks on livestock and people. Together with local communities, Lion Landscapes create a safer environment for people and wildlife.

The global value of wildlife is rarely felt by the people living closest to it. Lion Landscapes incentivise conservation by increasing community benefits linked to wildlife presence.

Lion Landscapes achievements:

• Supported over 1600 people to stop the use of poison

• Enabled over 15 local warriors to prevent lion killing

• Prevented over 100 illegal lion hunts

• Supported over 100 anti-poaching scouts

• Reduced lion killing areas by 80%

• Co Developed a premium carbon offset, Lion Carbon

• Provided food for over 1000 children daily

• Delivered wildlife-related benefits to over 250,000 people

• Predator proofed over 2,000 livestock enclosures

• Recovered over 26,000 lost livestock

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Read more about the work Lion Landscapes do

We make it our mission to support wild animal conservation through our wildlife adventures, wildlife tours and travel adventures. View our groundbreaking African Lion Safari Adventure!

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Ground Pangolins

AUTUMN & LILY - THE GROUND PANGOLINS

This month we are donating to Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre in Africa.

Thank you to everyone who came on our most recent adventures! Its because of you that we are able to support such an amazing organisation and endangered wild animal.

Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre is a non-profit rehabilitation centre for native South African wildlife. Their aim is to protect and conserve wild animals and release them back into the wild where possible.

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!!!! DISCLAIMER: THESE PANGOLINS ARE NOT HOUSED ON SITE. THEY ARE KEPT AT AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION !!!!

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Autumn The Ground Pangolin

Here Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre tell us about Autumn and Lily….

“Autumn came into us after being seized from a sting operation to retrieve her. When she arrived she was in very poor condition.  She was emaciated and dehydrated and we believe she had wire snare wrapped around her chest. We believe this is either how they caught Autumn or how they kept her from escaping. The wire snare had cut into the skin and her wounds were quite deep. After taking blood samples and x-rays we also saw that she was pregnant. 

She received critical medical care for the first 3 days before she was strong enough to start on her rehabilitation journey - this consisted of a strong course of antibiotics as she had the beginnings of phenomena, fluids and she was tube-fed small amounts of a high protein diet. Once her blood tests were stable she was then ready to be allowed to go out and forage for herself.” 

“Pangolins are nocturnal mammals and feed on primarily ants and termites. Autumn foraged for several hours every night until she was full and then would be taken back into her undisclosed location where she could rest and sleep.  

It took 3 months of intensive work to get Autumn ready for release. Once we were happy that she was maintaining her weight, which was 14.5kg we then looked for a safe release site. We fitted her with telemetry and satellite tags so we could monitor her post release. We monitor all the pangolins for up to a year after release to make sure they are thriving. This is very important as sometimes the pangolins can crash when they are in the field. 

Autumn took like a duck to water in her new surroundings and has been doing very well, we feared that she might have lost the baby due to all the stress that she had obtained through her ordeal, but a few weeks ago we caught her and her baby on a trail camera. She had been hiding the little one for a few months, very good mummy indeed. 

We will carry on monitoring Autumn and her pup for the next 3 months to see how she is doing.” 

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Lily The Ground Pangolin

”Lily the pangolin has been one of the worst cases that I have seen. She was also confiscated for the illegal wildlife trade and she had been through an ordeal to say the least. 

We believe that she had gone without food for 2 weeks prior to her rescue. The fact she was alive was a miracle in itself. She was skin and bones and as you can imagine very dehydrated. This frail poor pangolin was also in the early stages of pregnancy and somehow the baby was also still alive. 

After she was given the all clear from the hospital she came into our care during the days and stayed overnight at an undisclosed location. She was such a nervous pangolin and would just try and run away from us at every opportunity she got. I mean can we blame her; all she had seen was torture and brutality from humans. It took a few weeks before she settled in and started to trust us a little more. She then started eating very well and started gaining weight. It was amazing to see this shell of a pangolin blossom into this healthy girl.” 

“Lily stayed with us during daytimes for 4 months so we could get her in tip top condition for release. Once we were ready we picked a release site and fitted her with her tags. After a few days at the release site we could see that she was not happy. She wasn’t’ feeding well at all and she was “missioning” as far as she could. We made the choice to move her to a different release site. Once she was in the new release site she settled in immediately. Munching lot of ants and finding old aardvark dens to burrow in. 

We have had no sign of her pup yet but we are hoping every day that we might get a glimpse of the little one.”

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Read more about Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre to join their Facebook page

Whale and Dolphin Conservation

Whale and Dolphin Conservation

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We would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our recent Secret Ruin Hike day trip!

Without you we wouldn’t be able to support the amazing WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

 Please read more about WDC, how we have supported them and their incredible work below...

Photo: Lachlan Dempsey

BORNWILD AND WDC

Supporting organizations like WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation is one of the greatest and purposeful ventures we get to work on at BornWild. WDC is the leading conservation organisation for whales and dolphins worldwide. WDC has thirty years experience conducting and supporting vital conservation, education and research projects around the globe.  Their goal is to end captivity, end whaling, prevent deaths in nets, create clean healthy seas and create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. We stand proud being able to support such a meaningful and successful organisation! 

Last year, on our Ultimate Scottish Adventure where we toured the wild but breath-taking North Coast 500 route in the highlands of Scotland - we supported their inspiring work conserving, educating and researching vital projects around the globe. 

Photo: Michael Behrens

On the subject of Scotland, WDC also run the incredible Shorewatch volunteer programme along the coast of NE Scotland, along the Moray Firth, an area that is home to a resident pod of around 200 bottlenose dolphins. The team involve local communities in the conservation process of whales and dolphins, by having them collect vital data while simultaneously inspiring them to speak to visitors about the local sea life. They also have fun and important programs like Adopt a Dolphin, Adopt a Humpback and Adopt an Orca to get people involved and contributing any way they can. 

Recently, through our Secret Ruin Hike NY day trip we continued this support and are delighted with all the positive updates we are receiving from their amazing organisation. We plan to continue supporting WDC’s work in our future adventures too. 

Photo: Pagie Page

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Read more about WDC and the work they do.

We make it our mission to support wild animal conservation through our wildlife adventures, wildlife tours and travel adventures. View all of our forthcoming adventures! 

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Main Image: Flavio Gasperini

Monitoring Elephants Research Programme

Monitoring Elephants Research Programme

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Thank you to everyone who voted on our recent IG pole!

We had overwhelming votes on our recent IG poll to support Elephants and we have taken action! We are supporting leading international elephant charity organisation Space For Giants on their groundbreaking monitoring and research of African elephants.

Space For Giants’ mission is to conserve elephants and the landscapes they depend on. Not only have they grown out of pioneering research in the early 2000s, they encourage the co-existence of people and wildlife in modernising Africa. They have spent two decades working in these landscapes, studying how people and wild animals live together, and how that relationship is changing.

#WorthMoreAlive

Photo: @valenciascott

Here, we tell you how the Space for Giants’ monitoring and research work protect elephants and their habitats:

Data continues to drive and refine Space for Giants’ approach to elephant protection. For close to two decades, the organisation has studied how people and wild animals live together, and how that relationship is changing in the modern world. Space for Giants collars and track elephants to inform policy, and train rangers to use new technology to guide conservation management. In 2019, they began pioneering research on human-elephant conflict with forest elephants, and produced the first of a series of Working Papers to help build Africa’s wildlife economy.

Along side research and monitoring, Space for Giants’ work is focused on these four pillars to ensure maximum benefit for the long-term survival of the species: 

Pay, train and equip wildlife rangers

Space for Giants equip, train, and pay elite ranger units, including mobile and rapid-response teams. They also use intelligence-led tactics adopted from counter-terrorism. Deploying intelligence-led and proactive operations has a far greater impact than ever more boots on the ground.

Support judicial processes so trials are stronger

Successfully bringing an end to wildlife crime needs as much attention to activities in the courtroom as it does to operations in the field. Their sector-leading wildlife justice work continues to grow significantly, improve conviction rates and penalties for those involved in wildlife crime.

Photo: @joaquinrivero

Mitigate human-wildlife conflict

People and wild animals live ever closer in modern Africa. In a rapidly developing world, the competition for resources between people and wildlife continues to increase, posing a threat to the future of both humanity and critically endangered wildlife.

Contribute to pan-African anti-poaching surveys

The Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) provides information needed for elephant range States to make appropriate management decisions. Space for Giants work closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service and conservation partners to provide data on illegal hunting of elephants and trends over time for its ‘Laikipia and Samburu MIKE site’.

Photo: @sergiferrete

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Read more about the work that Space for Giants do

We make it our mission to support wild animal conservation through our wildlife adventures, wildlife tours and travel adventures. View all of our forthcoming adventures!

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Main Photo: @redcharlie

Critically Endangered Painted Dog Conservation

Thank you to everyone who has come on our recent hikes and wildlife tours!

We have decided to support The Painted Dogs Conservation The African Wild Dog (otherwise known as the Painted Dog) unfortunately don't get as much publicity as their other four-legged wild neighbours in Africa. People rarely hear about these unique and loyal beings that are extremely endangered and near enough extinct with only 1% remain in the wild. Thats why we at BornWild had to step in and spread the word as well as support them as much as we can. Enjoy reading more.......

The Painted Dog Conservation's mission is to protect and increase the range and numbers of Painted Dogs in Zimbabwe and they do an amazing job. However, they need all the help they can get since the African Wild Dog is hugely endangered. Their main extinction threats are: in Poaching/Road kills and Diseases

PDC have got these areas covered and working around the clock employing local people to help carry out their programmes. Not only creating an environment where the dogs can survive but also working with the communities, creating the environment for the dogs to thrive.

Programmes include Anti-poaching Units, Rehabilitation Centre, Re-introduction Programme and an Education centre for young children to learn about the conservation of the Painted Dogs.

Every year a thousand children visit visit the Bush Camp - for less than $15 a day. They stay a week - and for the first time in their lives, they see the dogs and wildlife that live just miles from their villages.

The Rehabilitation Center in Zimbabwe, takes care of sick, injured and orphaned painted dogs. When the Animals are recovered, they are released back into the wild. 

They also have a brilliant research unit. By putting as many collars with transmitters as possible on the painted dogs, researchers of the project can collect data on the whereabouts of the dogs. In this way the animals can be located faster if they get into trouble. The collar also protects the dogs against snares. 

3000 snares get found and collected by the Anti-Poaching Unit each year. The snares are then taken to the Art Centre to create crafts. 20-30 local people at the art centre  gain employment from that. Here is some examples of what they make..

If you like what youve read and want to visit, be part or donate to the worthy Painted Dog visit Bush Camp then please follow the word here Painted Dogs

WildCRU / Lions and The Trans-Kalahari Predator Programme

LIONS AND THE TRANS-KALAHARI PREDATOR PROGRAM

This month we are donating to WildCRU's 'Lions and the Trans-Kalahari Predator Program' 

Thank you to everyone who came on our most recent hikes, day trips and wildlife tours!

Read all about what they do here.

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African lion populations have suffered an estimated 75% range reduction in the last 100 years. Continent wide, there may be as few as 20,000 lions left in the wild with many isolated populations recently disappearing or facing imminent extinction, for which habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict have been identified as primary drivers. The Trans-Kalahari Predator Program is one of WildCRU’s largest projects, focused on the predators of southern Africa and their conservation and interactions with people. It was initiated in 1999 with the Hwange Lion Research Project in Zimbabwe and was extended into neighboring Botswana in 2013 to form the Trans-Kalahari Predator Program. The program encompasses ecological research with a focus on African lions (and increasingly other predators), ecologically sustainable transboundary land use management in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area and the promotion of coexistence of humans and predators to simultaneously improve human livelihoods and safeguard globally threatened lion populations.

Due to its vital role within an ecosystem, its unique biology and its combination of ecological needs, the African lion represents an important umbrella species for African landscapes. The apex predator roams home ranges of up to 2,000 km² and is essential for ecosystem function and health by controlling herbivore population sizes. Long-distance dispersal movements of mostly young males ensure genetic exchange between different lion populations, and dispersal distances of several hundred kilometres have been recorded. Due to their large area requirements many other smaller ranging species subsequently benefit indirectly from conservation efforts focused on the protection of African lion habitat, an effect which ecologists describe as holding an “umbrella” over additional species. In the face of a rapidly growing human population in Africa and the associated need for land and resources, there is limited time to prioritize effective conservation efforts that satisfy the needs of both humans and wildlife. Therefore, the umbrella species concept is a useful tool to manage landscape scale conservation and enable comprehensive habitat protection benefitting ecosystems as a whole.

More info, visit here WILDCRU If you would like to donate to the lion and the trans-kalahari predator program then please click here: TRANS-KALAHARI PREDATOR PROGRAM

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LION IMAGE: Eelco Bohtlingk

WildCRU / Living with Tigers Project

ALL ABOUT TIGERS

Thank you to everyone who has come on our recent day trips and wildlife tours! We have donated to Oxford University's WildCRU to support the 'Living with Tigers project'. Here's more about their work and conservation research ........

Tiger populations in Nepal have increased by 63% since 2008 as a result of successful efforts to control illegal poaching. While it’s amazing news, it’s led to a new conservation challenge – protecting the tiger population and local communities from human-tiger conflict.

In the Terai lowlands of Nepal, a major initiative by the Nepal Government and conservation NGOs to enforce zero poaching of tigers has resulted in a recovery of tiger populations in Chitwan and Bardia National Parks.

However, the regions surrounding these parks also have some of Nepal’s most dense rural human population, composed mainly of very poor communities that rely heavily on forest resources. As a result, there has been an increase in human-tiger conflict, with people and livestock being attacked by tigers.

To help prevent Nepal’s success in tiger conservation being undermined by this conflict, WildCRU has teamed up with the Nepalese organisation 'Green Governance Nepal' to engage the communities around Chitwan and Bardia in devising participatory approaches to ensure their safety, improve their livelihoods, and prevent retaliatory killing of tigers.

To this end, WildCRU are working with around 1200 households across eight communities around these parks. Their work involves implementing practical measures to improve the safety of people and livestock; developing supplementary livelihood opportunities to reduce dependence on the forested areas where tigers live, and addressing behaviours which put both people and tigers at great risk.

If you are thinking how can I help 'save the tiger' - Read, donate or know more about WildCRU's work

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AFRICAN LION SAFARI

Discover an African Safari with a unique perspective. We have developed one of the most extraordinary experiences that bridges Lion Conservation with adventure travel.

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LION IMAGE: Andy Brummer

The Painted Dog Conservation

From our recent Secret Ruin Hike , we have decided to help The Painted Dog Conservation again since these creatures are highly endangered and need all the help they can get! This money will go to help the work they do to support their conservation efforts.

The African wild dog (also known as painted wolves) are one of the most endangered species in the whole of Africa. There is only an estimated 7,000 wild dog habitat left in entire continent.

They may not be as famous as their trunked, horned, or maned neighbors, but these painted dogs —also known as African wild or hunting dogs—are beautiful, unique, and fascinating social animals. 

You’d be forgiven for confusing these mottled, big-eared animals for hyenas—but they’re distinctly different creatures. While hyenas are more closely related to cats, painted dogs share a distant common ancestor with wolves and, as their name suggests, domestic dogs.

Heres some more African Wild Dog Information: They’re extremely social, have strong family bonds (as you may have seen on David Attenborough’s program “Dynasties”, they spend most of their time together, and take care of one another’s pups, take care of each other and if a painted dog becomes ill or injured, their pack-mates rally round to care for them. The African Wild Dog is a truly amazing creature!

Bornean Clouded Leopard Program

Thank you to everyone who signed up to our E-Newsletter and came on our recent Secret Ruin Hike! We donated to WildCRU’s ‘The Bornean Clouded Leopard Program’

Read more about how we have supported this cause below

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The Bornean Clouded Leopard is a subspecies of the Sunda Clouded Leopard. It is native to the island of Borneo, and differs from the Batu-Sumatran Clouded Leopard in the shape and frequency of spots. 

The Clouded Leopard is Borneo’s most fearsome predator, it has the longest canine teeth of any feline. Fully-grown adults can have canines that are up to two-inches long. Furthermore, tails that equal their body length allow these secretive and solitary creatures to balance in trees, where they perch waiting to pounce on their prey. The exact numbers of this secretive cat are not known but they are believed to be in decline due to habitat loss and poaching.

What WildCRU are doing to help:

WildCRU are focussing their work in the Danum Valley in Malaysian Borneo and the Sabangau forest in Indonesian Borneo.

Their specific goals are to

• Study the status, behaviour, ecology and conservation genetics of the five species of Bornean wild cat, with a focus on the clouded leopard

• Investigate the effects of habitat alteration on Bornean wild cats

• Raise capacity for field research in Malaysia and Indonesia through the continued training of a local ecologists

• Increase awareness of the Bornean wild cats and their conservation needs, using the clouded leopard as a flagship species

• Investigate threats to the Bornean wild cats from hunting and trade in Sabah and Kalimantan. 

If you would like to help the Bornean Clouded Leopard - Please follow this link to donate and read more: WildCRU/Bornean Clouded Leopard

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Adventure for lions

AFRICAN LION SAFARI

Discover an African Safari with a unique perspective. We have developed one of the most extraordinary experiences that bridges Lion Conservation with adventure travel.

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LION IMAGE: Ian McGregory

The Himalayan Wolves Project

THE HIMALAYAN WOLVES PROJECT

Thank you to everyone who attended our Secret Ruin Hike and signed up to our E-Newsletter - We have donated to help the Himalayan Wolves Project. THANK YOU to all!

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Through our support of WildCRU, we are supporting their project - The Himalayan Wolf. read more about how the project is run here:

The Himalayan wolf is found in the high altitude ecosystems of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. It is an old lineage of wolf. It has also been largely overlooked by science and only in recent years evidence is emerging to show that the Himalayan wolf is distinct from the Holarctic grey wolf found in Europe and North America.

Some of the exciting questions the Himalayan Wolves Project is attempting to answer are how many of these wolves are found in the wild today, what keeps them there and where does their distribution range lie. The project focuses on compiling landscape scale data to understand the Himalayan wolf distribution and phylogeny which means where this wolf is situated in the canid’s family tree.

The trophic ecology is also studied to understand the Himalayan wolf’s role in the ecosystem. Specifically, the project works to identify its main wild prey species and understand livestock depredation. This is significant for understanding the resources required by healthy Himalayan wolf populations. But also how the wolves interact with carnivores that share the habitat with them, such as foxes and snow leopards is of interest.

This genetic and ecological data is combined with insights into human-carnivore conflict to identify the best mitigation strategies together with the local mountain communities. An understanding of the main threats to the wolves such as depredation conflict, their role in illegal wildlife trade, and the perception of wolves with regards to medicinal and cultural traditions is gained through interviews with local people. The project works closely with scientists from the respective host countries and the local mountain communities to raise conservation awareness, conduct research expeditions, and motivate further studies.

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The Scottish Wildcat Project

Thank you to everyone who signed up to our E-Newsletter! Through every sign up, we donated $2 per person to a cause we think is worth while. From the month of January - we donated to WildCRU’s ‘The Scottish Wildcat Project’

Read more about how we have supported this cause below

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The Scottish Wildcat is listed endangered. The Wildcat is actually a European wildcat, populated now only in Scotland. This population is estimated between 1000 and 4000 individuals. However, only around 400 pure individuals. The Scottish Wildcat population used to be wildly distributed across Britain, but has declined drastically since the turn of the 20th century due to habitat loss, persecution and hybridization. It is now limited to north and west Scotland only.

Extensive hybridization with the domestic cat is thought to be one of the main threats facing this species and has resulted in difficulties in distinguishing wildcats from wildcat x domestic cat hybrids and feral tabby domestic cats. The lack of clear cut identification has resulted in problems with collecting ecological data on genetically pure wildcats. There is a real risk that hybridization will result in the genetic extinction of the Scottish wildcat.

What WildCRU are doing to help:

WildCRU’s current project on the Scottish wildcat looks at the basic ecology of the wildcat and the role GPS collars can play in adaptive conservation management of the Scottish wildcat.

WildCRU works closely with the SWCAP (Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan) and GPS collars will be placed on wildcats in several of the Priority Areas. Here are some of the following objectives outlined:

• Determine how wildcats react to adverse weather conditions and what implications this has.

• Identify den sites and the characteristics that could result in their use e.g. cover, prey availability.

• Hybridization hotspots outside the Priority Areas that could be targeted for Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return.

• Identify potential risks to individual wildcats that could be mitigated through targeted action e.g. reduction of road traffic accidents across regular crossing points through wildlife bridges/tunnels.

• Identification of den sites for monitoring and protection from harmful activities.

• Identify small scale habitat use and activity within different habitats and use this data to map potential wildcat corridors between different wildcat priority areas that could be prioritised for future conservation efforts.

If you would like to help the Scottish Wildcat - Please follow this link to donate and read more: WildCRU / Scottish Wildcat Project

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The African Wild Dog

This month we have decided to give to our friends - The Painted Dog Conservation in Africa. Thank you to everyone who attended our most recent hikes and wildlife adventures!

Painted dog populations have been severely reduced from over half a million to only about 7,000 dogs. The Painted Dog Conservation is working to protect the African Dog from threats such as bushmeat snares and habitat loss—through research, education, and anti-poaching efforts. 

Unfortunately the African wild dog doesn't get as much attention as their other four-legged wild neighbors in Africa, but these painted dogs —also known as African wild or hunting dogs—are beautiful, unique, and fascinating social animals. 

Painted dogs are native to Africa, and aren’t found in the wild anywhere else on the planet. They live in small locations across a handful of countries including Zimbabwe, the home of The Painted Dogs Conservation. There are approximately 700 painted dogs at the conservation where they work with local populations of both humans and dogs, via conservation, education, and outreach programs—to help them not only survive here, but thrive.

Donate to help the Painted Dogs Conservation

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WildCRU / Andean Bear Project

THE ANDEAN BEAR PROJECT 

This month we are donating to WildCRU's research 'Andean Bear Project' 

Thank you to everyone who attended our most recent hikes and wildlife tours!

Read all about what they do here.

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This conservation initiative is the first of its kind in Bolivia, and aims to study the population dynamics of bears and the drivers of human-bear conflict in the andean bear habitat, the dry forests of Bolivia.

The dry forests of the Andes are being cut down to make way for agricultural land, oil extraction and the building of new roads. This development is pushing the species closer to extinction. The bear plays a vital role in the survival of these dry forests by dispersing seeds from the fruit that they eat. As a result of their homes shrinking they are wandering into agricultural land in the search for food. This has led to tension between local communities and the bears; they are being hunted and killed in retaliation for damaging crops and livestock.

This is a joint project between Chester Zoo and WildCRU that aims to study the population dynamics of bears and the drivers of human-bear conflict occurring in the Andean dry forests of Tarija, Bolivia; an ecosystem already identified as a priority for Andean bear research and conservation.

The species is currently listed by the IUCN as ‘Vulnerable’ across its range. The categorisation of the Andean bear is based on population trends, habitat models and levels of human-bear conflict. This project will generate the first population estimates in southern Bolivia, quantify the levels of human-bear conflict, and together with the communities, develop measures to reduce conflict.

More bear info, visit here WILDCRU If you would like to donate to the andean bear project then please click here: ANDEAN BEAR PROJECT

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WildCRU / Wildlife Conservation LION GUARDIAN Programme

Improving the lives of Wild Animals and Human conflict in Africa. WildCRU set their sights on improving this conflict so that wild animals have a better chance of survival, being able to increase their numbers and living a more peaceful life alongside humans. We at BornWild think that this programme is not only innovative but essential in ensuring less human/carnivore conflict in the future years.

Here is a little more info about the 'Lion Guardian' programme: 

Conflict between carnivores and human communities poses a serious threat to the persistence of carnivores in the wild, as well as impacting the lives and livelihoods of impoverished people living in the vicinity of protected areas. WildCRU's project has gained a solid understanding of the magnitude and importance of conflict. Their approach is to work with the community to try to limit conflict incidents.

'LION GUARDIANS'

The programme uses locally employed villagers, known locally as ‘Long Shields’ to assist the community with livestock protection and to provide a liaison with wildlife management and conservation bodies. During the course of their day, the Long shields are on the ground amongst their people and actively patrolling their ‘territories’. They monitor animal movements (both domestic and wild) using regularly walked survey routes looking for tracks. They monitor and consult on the strength and maintenance of people’s bomas (livestock enclosures) and in many cases help repair or rebuild them.

EARLY WARNING SYSTEM - LION WATCH

WildCRU closely monitors lion prides, with GPS satellite collars, situated on the park boundary that they know from experience are likely to come into conflict with people and provide an early warning system to local people through their ‘lion guardian’ programme. Because of the improved communication now due to the issuing of 3G capable phones and through an app called “Whatsapp” the guardians are part of a live feed of information and react very quickly to potential problems. When a lion moves out of the protected area in to community lands the local Lion Shield is alerted and they in turn inform their community and the livestock are moved elsewhere. In some cases the Lion Shield physically chases the lion back into the protected area. Our lion watch early warning system has issued almost 200 warnings and averted livestock raiding directly on 35 occasions.

COMMUNITY FENCING

One important area that can be improved to mitigate losses of livestock to wild predators is husbandry of livestock. WILDCRU'S findings suggest that a common factor in many conflict incidents is that animals are left out of protective bomas (corrals) at night, or are poorly protected during the day. A potential solution that we are pioneering is to encourage villagers to communally and collaboratively herd cattle in the day and to keep them protected in a well-constructed communal boma during the night. WildCRU's ‘mobile bomas’ are constructed of portable materials (cable and PVC canvas sheets) rather than the traditional logs and brushwood.  The opaque nature of the boma material, compared to high visibility of traditional bomas, means that predators are unable to see into the enclosure and are unwilling to risk jumping the walls. This method of herding may also be beneficial for crop production; the cattle urinate and dung and break up the soil cap, fertilising the land needs for up to three years. The first communal boma was introduced in May 2013 and the use and benefits of the programme are being monitored by the project.

ANTI-POACHING ASSISTANCE

Since 2008, Hwange Lion Researchers have been involved in supporting and/or managing an anti-poaching unit (APU). The anti-poaching project aims to provide the man-power, logistical support and resources to assist Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Zimbabwe, to reduce levels of bushmeat and other poaching, in the boundary areas of Hwange National Park. The APU unit consists of fully equipped, professionally trained and uniformed anti-poaching scouts. They are paid, fed, equipped and housed by the project. WildCRU also provide transport for patrol deployments and transport of arrested poachers to police custody.

SCHOOL OUTREACH

It is crucially important to engage the local community on important issues surrounding the problems of lion depredation on livestock. With this is mind WildCRU have written and produced a comic book that introduces important aspects of the project. The comic was distributed free of charge to schoolchildren in the area. They also visit local schools and spoke about lions and the work we do, including the history and importance of lions to our economy, our ecosystem and our cultures.

If you would like to read more or donate to WildCRU's amazing conservation unit then please head over to their website www.wildcru.org and Wildlife Conservation Research Unit www.ox.ac.uk (WildCRU) is the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. 

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MAKE AN IMPACT FOR LIONS

AFRICAN LION SAFARI

Discover an African Safari with a unique perspective. We have developed one of the most extraordinary experiences that bridges Lion Conservation with adventure travel.

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LION IMAGE: Frida Bredesen