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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.
Recently, our Lion Monitoring and Conflict Officer Roimen Lelya supported the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority in successfully collaring a male lion inside the Ngorongoro Crater.![]()
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This work is part of NCAA’s efforts to better understand how lions are interacting with rhinos in the Crater. ![]()
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Roimen provided technical support through the Ngorongoro Lion Research Project, a long running initiative that KopeLion proudly partners with and supports through funding.![]()
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Strong collaboration on the ground continues to play an important role in protecting lions across the landscape.
Happy New Year from all of us at KopeLion.![]()
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As we step into 2026, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported our work over the past year. Your belief in coexistence makes a real difference on the ground in Ngorongoro.![]()
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This video highlights what is possible when people and lions are supported to share the same landscape. It is the result of strong community partnerships, dedication and a shared commitment to protecting both livelihoods and wildlife.![]()
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We invite you to continue this journey with us in 2026 as we work towards a future where people and lions can thrive together. Thank you for standing with us and for being part of this story.![]()
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🎥: @bobbyjophotography
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from all of us at KopeLion 🦁🎄![]()
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Thank you to our wonderful supporters, partners and friends for being part of the KopeLion family this year. Your support, encouragement and belief in our work mean more to us than we can say.![]()
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We hope your festive season is full of joy, laughter and time with those you love. Thank you for being on this journey with us and for sharing another year together.
