Our goal is not to do in-depth biological research on lions or any other carnivore in Niassa. Research is only a part of our work if it answers specific conservation questions. However, ongoing monitoring plays a vital role in our conservation programs as part of adaptive management.

The first step of the project (2003-2007) was to understand the threats facing lions, leopards, spotted hyaena and African wild dogs in Niassa National Reserve (NNR) and to establish baseline information that we could use for comparison to evaluate our progress in the medium to long term (10-20 years). Wherever possible we identify simple indicators that can help us monitor population trends over time.

Large carnivores are notoriously difficult to survey. In a place the size of Niassa with few visitors, and roads, a census (or complete count) of known lions, leopards, spotted hyaenas or wild dogs is impossible. The most important question is not “How many lions are there in Niassa?” but “Are the lion, leopard or hyaena populations increasing, decreasing or stable?”

Our work starts by asking simple questions to get the baseline. We use socio-ecological surveys to collect data from local communities about both human behaviors and threats from carnivores. For example, we have collated a detailed database of all lion attacks on people and livestock across NNR since 1970 in order to identify behaviors that make people and livestock vulnerable to attack. These data showed that sleeping outside in the fields in the wet season was the single most risky behavior making people vulnerable to lion attacks. From these data we were able to start our safe behaviours and safe shelters program. We have also conducted surveys on the relative reliance on bush-meat compared to other protein sources, hunting techniques, the importance of the fishing industry as a source of income and protein, goat husbandry, and the perceptions people have of different carnivores.

Through ongoing monitoring we assess pilot programs like our elephant-beehive fence project, guineafowl breeding, living fence and our anti-poaching programs. Read more about these programs here. Through these small pilot programs we can make changes to meet local conditions, and discard programs that are not working before there is a huge investment in time and money. We test small. We accept that some of our programs will fail. We share all our results in our detailed annual reports so that others can learn from our mistakes and successes.