WILD LION PROJECT
In situ study on the behavior of big cats
PROJECT .
Activation of 2 in situ studies on the ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF LIONS AND OTHER LARGE CARNIVORES IN NAMIBIA AND BOTSWANA in collaboration with the WILDLIFE INITIATIVE and THE LEOPARD ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION FOUNDATION to census lions and other large carnivores to monitor their behavior, in order to collect as much information as possible on the one hand to give us more and more knowledge about their behavior, and on the other to provide information on their presence and abundance.
The activities of humans and domestic animals intersect with those of wildlife, which often leads to conflicts.
Large carnivores are particularly predisposed to interacting with humans due to their large spatial and food requirements and can cause considerable economic damage, mainly due to predation on livestock and can also attack people.
Among large carnivores, cats are probably the ones that cause the most contradictory reactions, mainly due to the impact they have on domestic animals.
Predatory activity by felines can be influenced by environmental conditions, habitat availability, abundance and distribution of wild prey, livestock grazing and husbandry practices.
The study involves the positioning of camera traps and acoustic sensors in strategic areas, in order to be able to map lion populations and investigate their behaviors, useful for supporting local organizations for good animal management and thus reducing human-wildlife conflict ever growing
Objectives will therefore be
analyze the aspects underlying the human-carnivore conflict and then turn to local authorities to implement effective solutions raise awareness among local inhabitants of the importance of biodiversity conservation and the potential benefits that derive from it.
Compare the data collected ex situ in different European zoological structures, with the data that will be collected in nature, in order to better understand their behaviors and dynamics in order to support rangers and local organizations in their knowledge and protection in nature.
PARTNER.
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