10. June 2020|In Lion Protection, Species protection, General

SAVE AND TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH COOPERTAION ON LION CONSERVATION IN BOTSWANA

African lion populations have been declining by an astonishing 43% from 1993 to 2018, according to IUCN research. That means that from 200,000 lions 25 years ago, only slightly over 22,000 remain in the wild across Africa today. The decrease in population is higher than any other species, including the rhino.
SAVE’s main objective is to implement a powerful program for exchanging ideas with communities that have lion conflict in order to promote peaceful coexistence for farmer and predators and any other problem wild animals in vicinity. We are committed to finding a solution, to ensure the African Lion will always have a place on this planet.

Actions

  • Education for conservation approach
    – Capacity building to farmers: Community education targeting focal people in the community to lead in the co-existence teaching in terms of developing posters, farmers workshops, demonstration kraals, spoor tracking and alerts. The trained escort guides/farmers are able to warn livestock farmers of approaching lions as well as train rangers to act as a rapid response team to avoid unfavorable incidents between lions and the local people- Environmental education at schools targeting grass root level teaching on Lions, spoor identification and co-existence topics, Lion games to compensate classroom learning.
  • Problem Lion collaring and release to the wild
    – Collaboration with the Department of Wildlife research team and Technical University of Munich, we shall relocate problem lions from farms in order to protect them from retaliation killing by farmers.
    – Monitoring of lions using satellite collars to enable a team of community escort guides to warn livestock farmers when the lions enter into or come close to their grazing lands. This monitoring will also enable the team to detect changes in the number of lions in the ecosystem, which will allow for adaptive management of their conservation program. Community sensitizing and awareness raising mobile workshops, mobile kraals and farmers training on alerts should be conducted.
    – This activity can be developed in to a research topic
  • Long-term conservation of a healthy and sustainable lion population in Botswana and the KAZA TFCA
    – Sharing of reports and partnership in Lion activities with all in the KAZA TFCA
  • Developing a mobile Lion sanctuary to take care of the injured Lions either by farmers or other wild animals.
  • Supporting the Department of Wildlife and National Parks ranger bases, radio network, equipment and operational costs, and monitoring infrastructure. This support will help keep lions and their prey safe from poaching. This means reestablishing effective management in parks and reserves is critical to the future of wildlife in the country.