While there is discrepancy about exact numbers, most agree that the African lion population has at least been halved since the 1950’s. In order to combat these problems, Wildize Foundation has begun a coordinated effort through several on-the-ground projects to address the numerous underlying causes for the Lion’s decline and as much as possible includes local community involvement so as to reduce the conflicts leading to their demise.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the African lion on the Red List of Threatened Species with a suspected population decline of 30 to 50% in the last two decades (Nowell & Bauer 2004). The demise of the lion has been caused by a combination of factors that, together, almost seem to have formed an all out war on this feline species. Habitat loss, conflict with humans, reduced prey base, global climate change, and hunting have all factored in this sorrowful dilemma.
In order to combat these problems, the Wildize Foundation has begun a Sub-Saharan Lion Conservation Project. This project is attempting to address the numerous underlying causes for the Lion’s decline and as much as possible includes local community involvement so as to reduce the conflicts leading to their demise. We feel that the WildiZe efforts stand out by being inclusive of the these local communities and our efforts to address systemic change across the continent.
WildiZe believes strongly that our efforts can have a robust and positive influence on reversing the decline of panthera leo, improving human understanding of these magnificent predators, and creating positive local interactions with Lions thus allowing for greater local participation and acceptance of the need for Lion conservation. The work we are undertaking today will have a tremendous impact now and in the future and the necessity is critical.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
