Page 21 - African Safaris eBrochure by Bushtracks
P. 21
The day came sooner than I expected. “I think we’ve and raised funds for full scholarships to send children to
both been dreading having to send you bad news,” secondary school (a first for Niassa).
Keith wrote in an email. “Colleen received a mortality
message from Samora’s satellite collar, followed by “People must choose to conserve lions,”
silence. We sent a vehicle round to the other side of
the river, and I hiked into his last known position. As argues Keith. “If conservation is in their interest and
we approached, vultures flew up and we found his the benefits are there, other communities will adopt it
carcass and collar lying where he had been caught in a as well.”
poacher’s snare. We found a second cable snare set for
buffalo just 10 meters away.” These programs have produced great results: in 2013,
no lions in the Niassa Lion Project’s study area were killed
It was only two months after we saw Samora on in snares. Samora’s death in 2011 was one of the last. With
the riverbank. I doubled over in front of my computer luck, the Beggs’ determination, and funds to continue
and sobbed. their work, new practices that benefit both lions and local
people will spread throughout Niassa. Protecting Africa’s
Preventing snaring is a huge challenge. Increasing lions is possible—I urge you to take action to ensure that
the number of anti-poaching patrols would help, but wild lions survive and thrive throughout the continent,
covering all of Niassa (roughly the size of Denmark) is now and into the future.
hardly feasible—Mozambique is one of the poorest
nations on earth. Instead of looking to the government, PROTECT LIONS THROUGH THE WILDLIFE
Colleen and Keith are working with local villages to CONSERVATION NETWORK
introduce alternative sources of meat like domesticated
guinea fowl, rabbits, ducks and pigeons, all considered To learn more about how you can help save lions, visit
excellent eating. And the Niassa Lion Project does Colleen and Keith Begg’s Niassa Lion Project on the
more—they’ve sponsored Lion Fun Days to teach local Wildlife Conservation Network website at:
kids about conservation, established a community http://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs/lion-niassa-0
center for environmental education and skills training,
Successfully raising lion cubs requires a
stable population of male lions. When
mature males are lost to snares, new
males entering the area will kill existing
cubs in order to sire their own.
19
both been dreading having to send you bad news,” secondary school (a first for Niassa).
Keith wrote in an email. “Colleen received a mortality
message from Samora’s satellite collar, followed by “People must choose to conserve lions,”
silence. We sent a vehicle round to the other side of
the river, and I hiked into his last known position. As argues Keith. “If conservation is in their interest and
we approached, vultures flew up and we found his the benefits are there, other communities will adopt it
carcass and collar lying where he had been caught in a as well.”
poacher’s snare. We found a second cable snare set for
buffalo just 10 meters away.” These programs have produced great results: in 2013,
no lions in the Niassa Lion Project’s study area were killed
It was only two months after we saw Samora on in snares. Samora’s death in 2011 was one of the last. With
the riverbank. I doubled over in front of my computer luck, the Beggs’ determination, and funds to continue
and sobbed. their work, new practices that benefit both lions and local
people will spread throughout Niassa. Protecting Africa’s
Preventing snaring is a huge challenge. Increasing lions is possible—I urge you to take action to ensure that
the number of anti-poaching patrols would help, but wild lions survive and thrive throughout the continent,
covering all of Niassa (roughly the size of Denmark) is now and into the future.
hardly feasible—Mozambique is one of the poorest
nations on earth. Instead of looking to the government, PROTECT LIONS THROUGH THE WILDLIFE
Colleen and Keith are working with local villages to CONSERVATION NETWORK
introduce alternative sources of meat like domesticated
guinea fowl, rabbits, ducks and pigeons, all considered To learn more about how you can help save lions, visit
excellent eating. And the Niassa Lion Project does Colleen and Keith Begg’s Niassa Lion Project on the
more—they’ve sponsored Lion Fun Days to teach local Wildlife Conservation Network website at:
kids about conservation, established a community http://wildnet.org/wildlife-programs/lion-niassa-0
center for environmental education and skills training,
Successfully raising lion cubs requires a
stable population of male lions. When
mature males are lost to snares, new
males entering the area will kill existing
cubs in order to sire their own.
19
