Roimen and Mussa talk with the Nyangulo (the warrior age set) in Ndutu, Ngorongoro.
Roimen and Mussa talk with the Nyangulo (the warrior age set) in Ndutu, Ngorongoro.

Roimen and Mussa talk with the Nyangulo (the warrior age set) in Ndutu, Ngorongoro.

It’s #GivingTuesday today, and after a whirlwind of a year for KopeLion, we’d like to say thanks for all the support that we’ve received from everyone, our donors, supporters, our hardworking team, the authorities we work closely with, the Ngorongoro community, and those who say, ‘well done’, ‘sorry’ or simply listen.

Please keep supporting the work we do, as we expand to a second corridor creating tolerance towards lions and their connectivity in and out of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and enable the lasting coexistence between people and lions.

With warmest wishes for the giving season,

The KopeLion Team

Trust is Earned

The big takeaway for us this year is that the trust is there. Despite immense conflict, loss of livestock to predators, and many lions being caught up in battles for survival through drought and tough times, pastoralists in Ngorongoro are engaging with us and with lion conservation.

We are truly appreciative for the words of Esere village members which remind us that there are still potentially far better things ahead than those that we leave behind.

“KopeLion have proven beyond doubt that agreements can be honored between parties and that you can keep your word. Ilchokuti and their work is living proof that indeed KopeLion is at our service and is a dependable organ.”

“We shall continue to commit to our cooperation knowing that as partners we have our roles to play in return for the support for mitigating conflict and this is an opportunity for us to practice safer pastoralism and conservation of our wildlife”

Keeping people and lions safer

This year, these activities have kept us busy! While we aimed to reduce the levels of lion attacks at pasture and in homesteads, we’ve unfortunately dealt with the opposite, with such scarcity of resources in this dry year bringing lions and people closer.

It’s hard to measure the conflict that been prevented, but as an elder with livestock in the Ndutu areas stated last month, “Had it not been for the great commitment by KopeLion we would have been in disarray with the lions.”

Thanks to IUCN SOS and EU Partnerships and PAW Foundation we’ve shared the work and costs to strengthen homesteads using traditional means in fitting with the conservation area regulations, we’ve made two films on location that remind people about the many ways and traditions that keep them safer when herding and at night, and we’ve shared thoughts and discussed safety through large, focused meetings with all 15 of the villages we work with.

Our CIP trial, paying communities for the presence of lions, is now in its 3rd and final year, and we’re documenting lions spending longer times in these 6 village areas, indicating that its working and tolerance to lions is increasing.

We’ve produced a ‘Living with Lions’ book with PAMS Foundation and WildAid, organised for educational materials for safety with wildlife, and taken 100 children into the crater to learn more about lions and have fun!

And the Lions…

We’ve lost some old favourite’s this year, in self defence, in battles with other lions and buffalo, and in retaliation. There were a couple who were particularly close to many of our team and the communities that we’d wish to remember:

Laipangwa, haunted the Nomad Entamanu camp for several years, and gracefully wore his collar, sponsored by Safina Conservation Fund, so that we could keep track of him and his ladies. He was a lion who had survived many tragedies and grew special, with even the children asking where he was. After losing his signal, after some days we found his body in a deep valley with signs that it had been mauled by other lions.

Noongoile, whom we had managed to keep out of danger for so many years as she lived almost within the people around the crater rim, was killed in self-defense, one early morning, finally getting just too close to a boma and children.

But with the losses comes change and opportunity for others. We’re seeing many new lions, with Emmanuel doing regular nights call ups and setting camera traps in the south- western area of NCA, as well as recording regular signs of their traversing through the community areas.

While the crater prides remain with the still strong Lake Quintet coalition (and some sneaky visits from the big black bellied Kalamas), takeovers have ensued, as always, in the Ndutu prides, cubs have amazingly survived the drought, and young hot-blooded teams of males have arrived from the Serengeti.

We have 5 new collars at the ready and we’re working closely with the NCA Authorities and the research project to select and collar the most interesting individuals to watch their travels and use them as a vital tool for giving early warning of their presence, preventing conflict and keeping them safe.

Cover for Kope Lion
4,770
Kope Lion

Kope Lion

KopeLion Inc. (short for Korongoro People’s Lion Initiative) is a non-profit NGO registered in USA and in Tanzania. Our mission is to foster human-lion coexistence through participatory research and sustainable community-based conservation.

1 week ago

Kope Lion
KOPELION – ImpactResponses from the focus group discussions, after one year of KopeLion working in Kakesio Ward, support the following impact statements:Over the past one year:• There have been changes in community knowledge towards wildlife - Agree 100%• There have been changes in community attitude towards wildlife - Agree 100%• There have been changes in community practices towards wildlife - Agree 100%• There have been changes in community perception of Kope Lion - Agree 100%• There have been changes in community awareness of Kope Lion activities - Agree 100%• There has been improved understanding between Ilkochuti and community - Agree 100%• There has been reduced conflict between wildlife and livestock in your area - Strongly Agree 100%• There has been reduced conflict between wildlife and people in your area - Strongly Agree 100%Thanks to The Donald Slavik Family Foundation Lion Recovery Fund Lion Recovery Fund IUCN Save Our Species IUCN Save Our Species 🇪🇺 International Partnerships EU International Partnerships for the funding and to Ace Africa for the baseline and follow up surveys. #lionconservation #ngorongorocrater #communityconservation #corridoroftolerance #ngorongoroconservationarea #ngorongoro #humanwildlifecoexistence #humanwildlifecoexistence ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

1 week ago

Kope Lion
Recognizing that young people have the power to shape a better global society, KopeLion put a key emphasis on engaging with youth and empowering them to take charge of their lives to create positive changes for the Ngorongoro of the future.This week we started with environmental education for primary school students, led by studies that link positive childhood experiences in nature with heightened environmental consciousness and involvement in adulthood.We're probably preaching to the converted in Ngorongoro, but with thanks to The Donald Slavik Family Foundation and with input from Wild Nature Institute and Lincoln Park Zoo Lincoln Park Zoo, we're going to make it fun!#kopelion #communityconservation #ngorongoro #ngorongoroconservationarea #lionconservation #ngorongorolions #humanwildlifecoexistence #corridoroftolerance #ngorongorocrater #lincolnparkzoo #livingwithlions #CreatingConversations ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

2 weeks ago

Kope Lion
About a quarter of all lion cubs, up to the age of one year, are killed by infanticide, when a new male takes over a pride and kills the cubs.Last week, the one remaining female in Ndutu's Thin pride and her three cubs, came into conflict with male lions and at least one of the cubs was killed.In both dry season and the rains the conflicts abound for lions. Some we can help prevent and others are out of our control.We wait to see yet another Ndutu lion's story unfold... #ngorongoroconservationarea #communityconservation #ngorongoro #ngorongorolions #lionconservation #humanwildlifecoexistence #corridoroftolerance #kopelion #ndutu Photo: Thin pride cub 2024, Ingela Jansson ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook