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Welcome to 2025! As we kick off the new year, we’re excited to bring you updates from the last quarter of 2024. This newsletter includes highlights from all landscapes we work in, including survey plans for Laikipia and strengthening conservation leadership in Tanzania. We look back on 2024 and invite you to explore our 2023/24 Impact Report to see how your support drives meaningful change for wildlife and communities.
This year, we’re changing how we connect with you to keep you more informed and involved in our work. Our newsletters will now be monthly, offering timely updates and fresh insights into our efforts. In the coming weeks, you’ll receive a survey asking for your thoughts on how we can improve—your honest feedback will help us better serve you and ensure transparency. You are our biggest supporters, and your voice helps us shape a better future for conservation.
Capacity Building: Strengthening Conservation Leadership
Veterinary Training
In collaboration with the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Lion Landscapes hosted a Wildlife Veterinary Training at Tarangire National Park in November 2024. This training was an opportunity for Tanzania’s wildlife veterinarians to come together to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and try out new technologies and techniques.
Led by experienced trainers Dr. Jacobus Raath and Dr. Chris Smith from Wildlife Vets in South Africa, the programme focused on wildlife immobilisation techniques, combining theoretical sessions with practical fieldwork. Participants included 24 Tanzanian veterinarians and veterinary assistants from institutions such as TAWIRI, Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA), and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA). During the training, the participants worked together to immobilise various species including zebra, buffalo, lion, wildebeest, elephant, and giraffe. Recognised by the Veterinary Council of Tanzania (VCT) and awarding Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, the training supports ongoing professional growth and strengthens the country’s wildlife veterinary network.
Tarangire National Park, with its exceptional biodiversity and accessibility, provided an ideal setting for this impactful training, underscoring the importance of safeguarding Tanzania’s natural heritage.
Wildlife Veterinary Training at Tarangire National Park in November 2024.
Wildlife Monitoring Training
Lion Landscapes, in partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam, conducted immersive training sessions on three key areas: wildlife monitoring, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and camera trap survey and data management. This programme engaged university students and faculty, building essential skills in survey design, camera trap deployment, and data analysis.
Designed to be highly interactive, the training encouraged active participation, allowing students to ask questions and engage with the material and trainers. For many undergraduate participants, it was their first exposure to camera traps. As a result, the training was structured as a gradual knowledge exchange exercise, ensuring that foundational concepts were clearly explained and understood.
These hands-on experiences and skills are vital for equipping the next generation of conservationists to tackle biodiversity loss and develop innovative coexistence strategies. Beyond technical training, participants explored the ethical dimensions of conservation through discussions on balancing ecological priorities with the needs of local communities.
Wildlife Monitoring Training sessions at the University of Dar es Salaam.
By combining practical skills with meaningful discussions, the programme empowered participants to become informed and effective leaders in conservation efforts.
We extend our gratitude to the Darwin Initiative Capability & Capacity programme and the Lion Recovery Fund for their invaluable support in making these trainings possible.
Ecological Surveys: Collecting Evidence for Conservation
Understanding the impact of our conservation activities is critical to ensuring the long-term success of our efforts. Through ecological monitoring, we gather essential data that informs conservation strategies and helps track progress over time.
Future Kenya Surveys:
Monica Ngasike, a Research Assistant with our Kenya team, built on her training at the University of Dar es Salaam by attending an ecological survey workshop led by our Data Manager, Joseph Francis. This training will help guide the Kenyan team to implement future ecological camera trap surveys in the Laikipia Landscape. By learning advanced techniques for survey grid design, camera deployment, and data analysis using tools, Monica gained practical skills to adapt proven methodologies from the Selous-Nyerere landscape to the unique challenges of Laikipia.
The training underscored the importance of standardising methodologies between project sites, ensuring consistency and comparability in data collection and analysis. Effective survey techniques are essential to ensure that the data collected contributes meaningfully to conservation planning. The lessons Monica learned will not only enhance the Laikipia survey but also promote cross-team collaboration, ensuring that knowledge, methodologies, and successes are shared across landscapes.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Oxford’s WildCRU Inclusivity Accelerator Fund for making this vital training possible.
Monica Ngasike, a Research Assistant with our Kenya team, participated in a training on ecological surveys led by our Data Manager Joseph Francis in Selous-Nyerere.
Selous-Nyerere Surveys:
As we prepare for the upcoming Laikipia ecological monitoring survey, we are proud to report the success of our most extensive survey yet in eastern Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. Conducted in collaboration with the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) and funded by the Lion Recovery Fund, NAWIRI, Zoo New England and WWF Germany, the 2024 camera trap survey saw the deployment of over 116 paired camera trap stations across more than 2,500 square kilometres, building on previous data collected in the area in 2021.
The data from this survey will allow us to track trends in the population densities of lions, leopards, spotted hyaenas, and African wild dogs, while also helping us gain insights into prey populations and threats. Our teams will be processing the thousands of images collected over the coming months and working with protected area managers to plan conservation actions based on our findings.
Left: Field team preparing camera traps for the Selous-Nyerere survey. Right: Lion captured on a camera trap during the survey in Selous-Nyerere.
This research not only informs our conservation strategies but also contributes to global knowledge about large carnivore populations in critical landscapes.
Ruaha Surveys:
Long-term ecological monitoring in the Ruaha-Rungwa landscape has been a cornerstone of our conservation efforts for many years, leading to numerous important publications and critical insights into large carnivore ecology across the region.
A recent study from the Ruaha landscape revealed that spotted hyaenas may be less resilient to human disturbance than previously thought, challenging earlier assumptions about their adaptability to environmental pressures. This research highlights the importance of sustained, long-term monitoring in refining our understanding of how species respond to human-induced changes in their habitats.
Left: Spotted hyaena captured on a camera trap. Right: detail of camera trap grids in (1) the core tourist area of Ruaha NP, (2) Ruaha NP miombo woodlands, (3) MBOMIPA WMA and (4) Rungwa GR.
Protecting Wildlife from Poisoning
Frustrated by the loss of livestock—their primary source of income—pastoralists sometimes resort to poisoning as retaliation against large carnivores. In East Africa, poison is readily available, inexpensive, and often seen as a quick fix. However, its impact is far-reaching and indiscriminate, claiming the lives of not only predators but also vital scavengers such as vultures, along with other wildlife. This practice threatens ecosystems and biodiversity, highlighting the urgent need for awareness and sustainable conflict mitigation strategies.
Laikipia Lion Extension Officers Lead the Way
In October, our Lion Extension Officers (LEOs) in Laikipia participated in a specialised poison awareness training facilitated by The Peregrine Fund. The Peregrine Fund have been giving this training to local communities and our teams in Laikipia since 2018 emphasising the ecological and health risks posed by poisoning, and equipping LEOs and Lion Rangers with the knowledge to effectively communicate the dangers of poisoning to both human health and wildlife, and reduce the impacts of poisoning events when they do occur. Poison awareness training builds awareness about the broader impacts of poisoning and encourages safer practices that benefit people and ecosystems alike. This works in concert with joint efforts to protect livestock from predation - the main cause of poisoning - by sharing knowledge on how to build predator resistant livestock enclosures, and making the materials for these enclosures available at affordable prices in remote communities. By giving community livestock owners the knowhow they need to protect their livestock from predation, and the awareness to protect their families and environment from poisoning, this training helps reduce poisoning incidents. Additionally, through empowering LEOs to act as frontline responders when poisoning events do occur, Lion Landscapes and The Peregrine Fund help prevent these events from escalating, reducing the losses of large carnivores and other scavenger species, including vultures.
Lion Extension Officers at the Poison Awareness Training event in Laikipia.
Community Awareness in Southern Tanzania
In southern Tanzania we collaborate with North Carolina Zoo (NCZ), to deliver and develop poison awareness training for community members. Recently, we developed and piloted a new curriculum in Ruaha, allowing participants to practice and apply what they learned in a real-world setting.
As in Laikipia, the training provides communities with alternative, sustainable methods to protect their livestock, reducing reliance on poisoning. This approach highlights the interconnectedness of human livelihoods and ecosystem health, encouraging safer practices that benefit both.
Poison Awareness Training events in Ruaha and Selous-Nyerere.
Using Tagged Vultures as an “Eye in the Sky”
As part of our collaboration with North Carolina Zoo, Lion Landscapes has also supported the expansion of the “Eye in the Sky” programme, which uses vultures equipped with satellite trackers to monitor poisoning incidents, specifically on community land. In 2024, seven vultures in Ruaha and five in the Selous-Nyerere landscape were fitted with trackers, enabling the detection of smaller poisoning events that might otherwise go unnoticed.
These tagged vultures help identify potential poisoning sites by clustering around carcasses. When such clusters are detected, Lion Defenders and Lion Extension Officers (LEOs) are deployed to investigate the scene. If poisoning is confirmed, they can rapidly decontaminate the area to mitigate further harm.
Early tracking data has highlighted critical vulture feeding areas and potential poisoning hotspots, honing swift ground responses by our Lion Defenders and Lion Extension Officers, and reducing wildlife casualties.
White-backed vulture movement maps in Ruaha (left) and Selous-Nyerere (right).
Wildlife Clubs: Inspiring the Next Generation
In the Selous-Nyerere landscapes, five new wildlife clubs were launched in 2024, engaging over 350 students from primary schools. Teacher-led sessions provided hands-on education about wildlife conservation and coexistence strategies. At the end of the school term students were assessed on what they had learnt in the wildlife clubs and the top-performing schools were rewarded with resources and a trip to Nyerere National Park, offering students an immersive experience to connect classroom lessons with real-world conservation. These clubs not only educate but also empower students to become ambassadors for conservation in their communities, creating a ripple effect of awareness and action.
In Ruaha we continued running the Wildlife club at Mlowa Secondary School. One of the highlights in 2024 was Talent Day, where the students celebrated conservation through art, music, and performance. Students highlighted the importance of biodiversity and received certificates commemorating four years of active engagement.
This initiative, supported by Phoenix Zoo, has fostered a new generation of conservation advocates committed to protecting their natural heritage. By integrating cultural expression with conservation education, the programme has helped bridge traditional knowledge and modern conservation practices.
Wildlife Club at a Park Trip in Selous-Nyerere (left). Wildlife Club at a talent day in Ruaha (right).
A Look Back on 2024 Key Metrics and Impact
Explore our 2023/24 Impact Report to learn about the achievements of our teams, partners, and supporters - https://www.lionlandscapes.org/impact-report
As we move into 2025, your support remains vital. Together, we can drive forward impactful conservation initiatives, ensuring a sustainable legacy for generations to come. Here’s to another year of progress and collaboration!
THANK YOU - ASANTE SANA - ZIKOMO KWAMBILI
As always, we thank all our partners and sponsors for their generous and committed support.
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