Dear KopeLion Supporter,
As we close 2025, our hearts in Kakesio are heavy. Between August and November, three male lions were lost in one of the most important lion corridors in the southeastern Greater Serengeti. This corridor connects Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Maswa, and Kakesio. It allows lions to move, disperse, and survive.
For three years, we watched this corridor come back to life. Lion presence increased steadily. But in 2025, conflict surged. From April onward, livestock attacks increased. Night-time boma incursions rose. Despite the tireless work of our Ilchokuti, three lions were found dead, most likely poisoned in retaliation.
Poison does not kill one animal. It spreads through the ecosystem. Lions die, but so do hyenas, leopards, jackals, vultures, and any animal that feeds on a poisoned carcass. One act can wipe out years of conservation gains.
These losses cut deep for our Ilchokuti. Nduyai, one of our most dedicated lion protectors, spent many sleepless nights stopping attempts at revenge killings. When two lions were lost in his area, he felt responsible, even though he had done everything in his power.
The community feels this loss too. A warrior leader from Kakesio said:
We all know and agree that to live with lions is a very difficult thing, but we still want them with us. Our coexistence with lions through millennia proves this point.
KopeLion knows that conflict with lions does not start with anger. It starts with loss, fear, and uncertainty. With your support, we can stop further lion killings, bring people together, and protect a future of coexistence in Kakesio.
We want to bring people together to understand the root causes of this surge in conflict and solve the problem collectively. To prevent more lions from being killed and to strengthen coexistence in this critical corridor, we are launching an emergency, community-led appeal in Kakesio.
This appeal will allow us to convene elders, warriors, women, and youth to openly discuss what is driving conflict and agree on practical, locally led solutions. The funding will support dialogue, trust-building, and rapid action on the ground.
Your support right now is crucial.
Our campaign target ➡️ $20,000
Your contribution will help us:
- Purchase three GPS lion collars to improve monitoring and provide early-warning alerts to communities.
- Lead anti-poisoning campaigns and discussions that address the real drivers of retaliation.
- Strengthen our Ilchokuti team and recruit one additional Datoga Ilchokuti to increase local presence and trust.
- Respond faster to conflict incidents and prevent retaliation killings before they happen.
Your donation makes a direct difference:
- $20 supports one Ilchokuti patrol for a day
- $50 helps fund rapid response to conflict incidents
- $100 contribute to an anti-poisoning community meeting
- $250 contributes toward a GPS collar for early alerts
By standing with communities in Kakesio today, you help keep this corridor alive for lions and support the people who share their land with them. Thank you!
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.
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