The Safina Lion Conservation Fund has supported KopeLion since 2019, since then we have sponsored two GPS collars, associated transmission fees and the cost of sponsoring the strengthening of a boma in 2021. KopeLion are based in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), surrounding the famous Ngorongoro Crater. The crater itself is 102 square miles in size and is one of a few areas within the NCA where people are not allowed to live. The NCA interlinks the crater to the main Serengeti ecosystem and is vital to the connectivity of wildlife between these places.
KopeLion works to find solutions so that pastoralist communities and lions in the NCA can coexist and prosper together. Supporting better protection for both livestock and lions, reducing the conflicts, and providing tangible benefits from lion conservation are some ways that KopeLion is increasing the tolerance that people have towards lions, reopening corridors of connectivity and restoring a healthy landscape that sustains all forms of life.
In February 2023 Safina Lion Conservation Fund trustees James and Pete visited Tanzania to see lions in the wild and visited several national parks including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area where we met members of the KopeLion team who explained their work in more detail and showed us several different locations and the communities that they work with, they also showed us bomas that they had strengthened.
A boma is an enclosure where livestock are secured at night away from predators, they are traditionally made from thorns and branches. If hungry enough predators like lions, hyenas and leopards will break into bomas at night to take livestock.
In the Ngorongoro Conservation Area due to it being a protected area and a national heritage site, all builds must remain traditional and be made from natural materials so unlike other areas where lions are present, they are not able to use barriers like chain-link fencing for added security. The people that live in this area are pastoralists, they rely on the land and their cattle to live. Every cow or goat taken by lions represents a loss of income and if this becomes a common occurrence communities will often understandably, want to retaliate to protect their livelihoods.
We are working with KopeLion to work with boma owners to strengthen bomas through sourcing stronger wooden poles or planting several layers of thorny bush to reinforce bomas to make them harder for predators to break in to. Through our Boma Strengthening Scheme we will cover the cost of 80% of the efforts from KopeLion to reinforce each boma, while the boma owner pays the remaining 20%. Our 80% cost will be £180 and will be used to source the materials required for reinforcement.
By supporting efforts at homestead level we are working to try and prevent incidents before they occur, working together for the communities and the wild lion population to reduce conflict. The big marsh pride pictured below is just one of the lion prides that live within the NCA and come into conflict with communities at times.
If you want to get involved in our boma strengthening scheme please donate to this campaign, for more information on our work please visit our website - www.safinalionconservation.org
If you are a zoo that would like to get involved in our Boma Strengthening Scheme please email info@safinalionconservation.org for more details on how to join.
Once we reach our target, any additional funds raised if there are any, will go towards the annual sponsorship of our sponsored Lion Guardian Kuya Kipampa.
* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.
