New Pastoralism Management Model in Benin

Conservation of Lions with a New Pastoralism Management Model in Benin

African Parks recently assumed management of the vast 10,000 km2 Parc W in Benin, which is one of the most important remaining patches of habitat for the Critically Endangered West African lion. The LRF issued a grant of nearly $400,000 to African Parks to help them improve law enforcement operations as they respond to an evolving security situation driven by an insurgency in the WAP-Benin Complex. The grant ensures that rangers are adequately equipped to stay safe during operations and conduct patrols to keep lions and prey populations safe from poaching. The grant also supports African Parks strengthening relations with local communities through sensitization and information gathering initiatives. In combination with the LRF’s support for African Parks’s work in Pendjari NP in Benin, the LRF has now provided considerable support to the Beninese portion of the WAP complex of protected areas, which is the single most important stronghold of the West African lion.