The Lion's Share

VULTURE CULTURE HELPS SAVE BIG CATS IN ZAMBIA

Following half a century of devastating wildlife poaching in Zambia's Kafure National Park, a new report, shared today (1st June 2023), by the wild cat conservation organisation Panthera, has revealed that due to anti-poaching operations and innovative solutions including 'vulture sentinels', both lion and leopard populations are showing great signs of recovery. As well as triple the density of leopards it also found that over the past 4 years, more lion cubs were being born, suggesting that survival into adulthood is improving.

There are many conservation and anti-poaching organisations working to save wildlife in Kafue, and in 2018, led by the state Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), a team of six NGOs came together and then collaborated over a four year period to halt declines and enable recovery (Game Rangers International (GRI), Musekese Conservation, Panthera, Wildlife Crime Prevention (WCP), the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP), and later in 2021, African Parks). According to the report, 'the collaboration employed advanced information and monitoring technologies, including the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), to centralize information on field patrol routes and observations and to provide critical input into monthly planning and coordination in the Park.' Scientists from the North Carolina Zoo working with Panthera also undertook a trial with 19 vultures to see how well they could help identify illegal activities.

Vultures are Nature's scavenges and through their clearing away of carcasses, they play a vital role in cleansing the environment, helping to prevent the spread of diseases such as rabies and tuberculosis. The 'sentinel' system works by tagging the birds with satellite trackers which can instantly alert the authorities of carcasses which have been poached or poisoned by livestock owners. Even though many of them illegally graze their animals in the park, they bait the dead bodies to silently kill the cats in retribution for attacking their cattle, and the poison obviously also kills the vultures. Now, staff can find the carcasses to dispose of them as quickly as possible whilst trying to pursue the culprits, helping save both the cats and the birds at the same time.

Panthera and WildCRU Lion Program Director, Dr. Andy Loveridge, said, "Long known as one of Africa's 'crown jewels' thanks to its magnificent biodiversity, Kafue National Park's lion and leopard populations were diminished by more than a half-century of poaching. In just four short years, however, these wild cats have started to make an incredible comeback as a result of this uniquely collaborative conservation program steered by Zambia's DNPW. This news represents the beginning of an epic victory for Kafue's 'Kings and Queens,' and provides a beacon of hope for leopards and lions across southern Africa."