The Lion Pride Initiative
Protection Research Implementation Development Education

PROTECTION Protection of large areas of suitable habitat is fundamental to the long-term survival of lions in Africa. But few protected areas are large enough to protect big game, which moves beyond park boundaries. These large conservation landscapes of suitable habitat must include not only national park and game reserves, but also safari areas, and private and community lands. Governments desperately need help in providing better protection for wildlife outside of parks. Wide scale killing in defense of livestock must be urgently addressed. Bush meat poaching has decimated wildlife populations; game departments need help in developing the capacity to police the snaring and sale of game meat.


RESEARCH Research is the cornerstone to developing better methods of preventing predators from becoming livestock raiders. In most of Africa, lions are disappearing because local people can no longer tolerate the costs of living with them. If we are to save wild lions for future generations, we must understand the complex dynamics between wildlife needs and ever-growing human needs. Critically, we require sociological work on perceptions of lions in rural Africa, and on how to help people appreciate the value of intact ecosystems that include top predators.