The initiatives of the Lion Conservation Fund

October 13, 2014 admin Uncategorized

It is estimated that over 90% of the lion population in Africa has now disappeared. With such devastating losses, the African lion is now under a great level of pressure and could become extinct if new initiatives are not put in place to protect them. The Lion Conservation Fund is dedicated to doing everything it can to stop the tragic decline in African Lion populations, and with the continued help of volunteers and supporters, aims to play a big part in the redistribution of these majestic animals to safer areas where they will not come into contact with human beings or be hunted for sport. Such conservation work has been promoted by wildlife supporters including Nigeria’s Tunde Folawiyo, whose passion for the environment and its ecology can be seen in the videos hosted on the Tunde Folawiyo Dailymotion profile.

The Lion Conservation Fund has backed and developed a range of initiatives throughout Africa aimed at protecting lions from further decline. This has involved a two-pronged approach where both research and conservation efforts have been made a priority. The conservation efforts of protection through the creation of animal sanctuaries and moving lions away from human populations is self-explanatory; however, the Lion Conservation Fund has also participated in a number of studies designed to better understand lion behaviour and biology, in the hopes that through this understanding more efficient conservation techniques can be developed.

Unlike some animal conservation organisations, the Lion Conservation Fund has taken a holistic approach to protecting the African lion. This has involved a wide variety of initiatives and techniques, most of which fall under one of the following categories:

• Restoring habitats to not only protect lions, but to encourage them to repopulate areas where their habitat has been changed in the last few decades.
• Educational activities to improve local knowledge of lions, their behaviour, and their importance to the finely balanced food chain in Africa. It is hoped that such programmes will transform attitudes towards lions, seeing them less as fearsome hunters, but as an essential part of the local ecology which needs to be protected.
• Anti-poaching approaches to lower the number of lions being slaughtered in the wild. Furthermore, this has also included attempts to hinder any retribution killings on the part of local communities.
• Promoting environmentalism as a way in which local communities can benefit monetarily from the wildlife around them, without killing animals needlessly.
• Connecting this to anti-poverty initiatives such as improving employment and developing new schools and clinics.

With the help of the Lion Conservation Fund, and those who continue to donate towards the protection of the African Lion, these impressive animals may bounce back from the trend of a dwindling population.