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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 present them to all the villages that participated.
Largely supported by The Lion Recovery Fund and others, we additionally thank the 6 villages who participated, the NCA Authority, and KopeLion staff, Ingela Jansson, Adam Pekor, William Ole Seki and Ololotu Munka who poured their hearts and time into the project.
95% of respondents reported that they were satisfied with the CIP program, 97% reported that they had a more positive view of lions as a result of the CIP program, and 99% reported that they would like the CIP program to continue in their village.
Human-lion coexistence was greatest where the CIP program was piloted – during the three years of the pilot, there was not a single retaliatory lion killing, hunt, or attempted hunt in the CIP villages, despite 29 such events in KopeLion’s wider area of operations’.
Funding for education elevated the CIP programme, – a conservation intervention can only help promote coexistence if people are aware of the benefits they are earning from wildlife. Here, awareness of the CIP program was extremely high, with over 90% of respondents from CIP villages reporting having heard of the program or the fact that their village was earning money from the lions on their land. Anecdotally, we noticed a substantial uptick in both awareness of and enthusiasm for the program once the participating villages began using their earnings to support students to attend secondary school.
Download the CIP Final Report
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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.
Curious how Kope Lion began?![]()
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Hear our founder, Dr. Ingela Jansson, share the inspiring story behind the early days of lion research and conservation in the latest episode of Safari Life.![]()
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From fieldwork to community collaboration, it’s a powerful glimpse into what it takes to build and lead a conservation initiative on the ground.![]()
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Don’t miss this insightful and inspiring conversation!
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Big news for lion conservation!![]()
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Congratulations to Dr. Nicholas Dussex and Dr. Ingela Jansson Kope Lion of KopeLion, on the publication of their important new paper:![]()
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Dussex et al. 2025 – “Constraints to gene flow increase the risk of genome erosion in the Ngorongoro Crater lion population.”![]()
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This groundbreaking study sheds light on the genetic isolation of the iconic Ngorongoro Crater lions and the urgent need to protect their future through science-led conservation.![]()
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A huge shoutout to the entire research team for their dedication to safeguarding Africa’s lions—this is a vital step forward for conservation genetics and coexistence efforts in the region.![]()
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Read the full paper here: ![]()
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rdcu.be/eiBW9![]()
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📷: Bobby-Jo Safaris
Our first full staff meeting of the year brought together the KopeLion team—including our Ilchokuti—for a valuable time of learning, collaboration, and connection.![]()
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The meeting also kicked off preparations for our April–July lion survey, ensuring everyone is aligned and ready. These biannual gatherings strengthen both our work and our team spirit on the ground.![]()
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Check out the outdoor cinema in the last two photos 🤣
