KopeLion News

Published On: December 22, 2025

We cannot take coexistence for granted.
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. Communities and lions in Kakesio need your support today.

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Published On: May 2, 2024

Paying for the Presence of Lions – CIP Final Report
The results of our 3 year Conservation Incentive Payments (CIP) trial are out.

KopeLion and the TAWIRI lion research project presented them to stakeholders, including community leaders, NCAA, TANAPA, TAWIRI, MNRT, and tourism operators, in Karatu and to all the villages that participated.

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Published On: February 1, 2024

The unpredictability of conservation efforts
Despite facing unforeseen and significant challenges in 2021 and 2022, […]

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Published On: June 6, 2023

KopeLion Annual Report 2022
Enjoy a summary of KopeLion’s 2022 – a busy and […]

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Published On: May 23, 2023

New Kakesio corridor of tolerance
Three new ilchokuti in Kakesio With the success of our […]

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Published On: November 28, 2022

2022 Wrap
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.

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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.

Kope Lion

5 days ago

It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Larmasi-A, a well known male who had been moving in and out of the Ngorongoro Crater.On the 4th February 2026 we received a mortality signal from his collar. His last recorded position was on the rim of Olmoti Crater. Our team responded immediately and located his body in the area.We reviewed his final movements and searched each recorded location for any sign that might indicate the cause of death. We observed movements of wild prey including buffalo, eland and bushbuck, as well as livestock at a further distance. However, no carcass was found and there was no evidence of a wild or livestock kill associated with his final movements.We now await the results of the post mortem report conducted by the NCAA veterinary team.We extend our sincere thanks to the NCAA team for their swift response, especially Afande Maige for providing ranger assistance, and to the veterinary team for their dedication. This was a true team effort.Larmasi-A was known for his quiet and strategic movements in and out of the crater. In evolutionary biology, so called sneaker males use stealth and timing rather than direct confrontation to gain opportunities in highly competitive systems. The late evolutionary biologist John Maynard Smith wrote extensively about these alternative reproductive strategies. Informally, such males have sometimes been referred to as “sneaky f***ers” — a blunt but fitting description of the tactic.In a system like the Ngorongoro Crater, where competition among crater born males is high, this type of strategy may represent one of the most important pathways for new genes to enter the population. Larmasi-A’s movements beyond the crater rim were therefore more than just bold behaviour, they were ecologically significant.For Larmasi-A, that quiet intelligence became part of his story. ... See MoreSee Less

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Kope Lion is with Dennis Peshut in Singida, Tanzania.

2 weeks ago

𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝘿𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙨 𝙋𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩.Ngorongoro born and bred and a true all rounder on the KopeLion team.Dennis monitors lions across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with a strong focus on the crater and the highlands. He also collects end of month data from the Ilchokuti and helps track their performance on the ground.Beyond field work Dennis is a skilled mechanic and a trusted driver which makes him one of those people everyone relies on. Calm capable and deeply connected to this landscape. ... See MoreSee Less

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Kope Lion is at Ngorongoro Crater.

2 weeks ago

Caturday cuteness from the Ngorongoro Crater! This curious little cub from the Mungeedge pride was beautifully captured by Mama Simba who is quickly becoming quite the photographer. We might need to start calling her Mama Mpiga Picha because she’s got a great eye and a real feel for these moments.Nothing like a lion cub to brighten your weekend and remind us why we love what we do 🦁 ... See MoreSee Less

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