| Grantee | Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) |
|---|---|
| Type | Human-wildlife Coexistence |
| Grant Amount | $293,783 |
| Duration | 4 years |
Reducing Human-Lion Conflict in Northwest Namibia
Damaraland is a rare success story for lions – after going locally extinct in the 1990s, the desert-adapted lion population has gradually recovered and now numbers in the region of 120 individuals. However, with that recovery, human lion conflict has surged – made worse by a severe drought which has reduced the availability of wild prey. IRDNC has been allocated an LRF grant to support their efforts to tackle human-lion conflict. Key elements to this project include the deployment of ‘Rapid Response’ teams to respond to conflict incidences, the strengthening of corrals to reduce the risk of nighttime lion attacks, and the development of early warning systems to warn communities when lions are close to their corrals. Second and third grants were issued in 2019 and 2020 to allow for continuation of the work.