Danai Gurira, actress and playwright, visits WildCRU’s Hwange Lion Research Project

Danai Gurira, a wildlife conservation ambassador, recently visited the Hwange Lion Research Project, part of the Trans Kalahari Predator Programme, in Zimbabwe. Danai (who played Okoye in the 2018 movie Black Panther) was met and hosted by Lovemore Sibanda, and spent the greater part of the visit tracking and learning about lions in Hwange National […]

WildCRU celebrate 20 years of lion research in Hwange National Park

In October 1999, twenty years ago this month, Andrew Loveridge and David Macdonald started the Hwange Lion Research Project, it has become one of the longest running conservation research projects in Africa. Situated in Zimbabwe’s vast Hwange National Park, the project has contributed to an understanding of lion population management, predator prey dynamics, lion conflicts […]

Addressing human-wildlife conflict: Lessons learned from a community lion guardian programme

WildCRU’s Trans-Kalahari Predator Programme (TKPP) is the focus of the latest IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group case study, produced in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation. This series of publications aims to highlight both what is being done and most importantly, HOW it is being done – sharing important insight into the […]

In a turning point for lion conservation, WildCRU and Panthera unite lion programs with the appointment of Prof. Andrew Loveridge as a joint Lion Director

Uniting two of the world’s preeminent lion programs, Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, has appointed our Deputy Director, Andrew Loveridge, in a joint role as a Lion Program Director. A turning point for lion conservation, this alliance spearheaded by Andrew expands the organizations’ reach: together we have supported work in 12 countries, including […]

Anthropogenic edge effects and aging errors by hunters can affect the sustainability of lion trophy hunting

Trophy hunting of African lions to generate revenue and protect wildlife habitat is widely practiced, with valid scientific and ethical arguments for and against the practice. Research, published in Scientific Reports this week, evaluates current lion trophy hunting strategies in the context of other risk factors using an individual based population model. Findings of the […]

Lion hazing as conflict mitigation tool

Loss of livestock to carnivores is one of the largest drivers of conflicts between people and wildlife, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The Long Shields Lion Guardians, part of WildCRU’s Trans-Kalahari Predator Programme, located on the periphery of Hwange National Park, uses innovative methods to alleviate livestock loss. The programme monitors GPS-collared lions and employs community […]

The bits of wire that can devastate lion populations

Nature Research News have featured research carried out by Dr Andrew Loveridge. The article reads: “Simple snares aimed at catching African game for the table take a huge toll on carnivores, too. Wire snares are widely used to poach African wild herbivores for meat — but the traps also catch enough lions and hyenas to […]

The effectiveness of hazing African lions as a conflict mitigation tool: Implications for carnivore management

For high impact, low budget simplicity of communication, check out Lisanne’s video writes David Macdonald celebrating a remarkable paper on lion conservation. Chasing African lions is an unexpected approach to conservation, but a new WildCRU-led study provides evidence that it can be critical in reducing livestock loss. Newly published in the journal Ecosphere, this study […]