Research
Monitoring Populations
Lions and The Trans Kalahari Predator Programme
History and Milestones
Cecil the Lion & WildCRU’s Cecil Summit
Area of Operation
Lion Ecology
Monitoring Populations
Transboundary and Landscape Conservation
Human-Lion Coexistence
Research Methods
The Team
Sponsors & How to Support Us
References
In an intact natural ecosystem, animal populations are regulated in size by resource availability on all trophic levels. However, increasing human influence on natural ecosystems requires regular monitoring of animal populations in order to be able to detect and react to changes. Population sizes of large carnivores are of particular interest as they are important indicator species and their population trends can be used to judge general ecosystem health.
Since 1999, we have regularly surveyed large areas of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe with camera trap and spoor based survey methods, and expanded our population monitoring efforts to cover more protected areas in Zimbabwe and Botswana in 2013. During the past years, we have surveyed Mana Pools National Park, Matusadona National Park, Zambezi National Park, Chizarira National Park, Chirisa Safari Area, Matetsi Safari Area and Bubye Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe. Since 2013, we have further surveyed Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Sibuyu Forest Reserve, Kazuma Forest Reserve and several private concessions in north-eastern Botswana. Since 2017, we have been conducting the Okavango Delta Carnivore Survey to provide the Government of Botswana with up-to-date carnivore population estimates for this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Okavango Delta Carnivore Survey Partners
Rhino Conservation Botswana 🔗
Rhino Conservation Botswana have joined forces with TKPP with the joint goals of estimating the numbers of large carnivores and monitoring the health of the black and white rhino populations in the Okavango Delta. Some incredible images have been captured.
Wilderness Safaris 🔗
In April 2018 the Conservation Department of Wilderness Safaris supported the TKPP team in specific areas of the Okavango Delta.
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