Foundation purchases Camera traps for Meru Pride of Lions

Camera traps for Meru Pride of Lions

The Foundation is proud to have contributed £3000.00 to provide camera traps for a Born Free Foundation initiative which tracks and monitors lions, and works with communities to nurture tolerance and reduce human-wildlife conflict in Meru, Kenya.

Meru is where George and Joy Adamson taught Elsa the lioness to be wild and free; where she mated and had cubs, where she truly became a lioness.  The Pride of Meru programme has been created to keep the legacy of Elsa alive. For much of the local population keeping livestock is central to their lives, both culturally and economically. However, lions and other carnivores such as hyenas and leopards can attack and kill sheep, goats, and cattle, leaving pastoralists, many of whom are living in poverty, with the devastating consequences of losing critical income. Aggrieved pastoralists may then persecute carnivores and engage in retaliatory killing.

The Community Camera Trapping Initiative aims to provide benefits to communities through the presence of wildlife. Born Free is already mitigating conflict in the region via several different methods, but there is a risk that the community see them as an organisation as the benefit provider rather than the wildlife directly. This initiative will give communities a set of camera traps to capture images of the wildlife on their doorstep and then use a points system to create a competition between village communities based on the abundance of species recorded. The top scoring community wins an award at the end of each competition round. The rewards, including school equipment or even toilets, are decided by the local people themselves. Community Camera-Trapping is inexpensive and can help directly link the presence of wildlife to local benefits, thus empowering people to embrace conservation activities.

Points are based on conflict risk and how endangered the species is – for example  Lion = 15,000 points, African wild dog = 20,000 points. Collared individuals may even give more points. Villages then compete against each other on a quarterly basis to see who can generate the most points. The images are shown to all villagers so they can see the wildlife that has been photographed on their land which ensures they fully understand the connection between the benefits and the presence of wildlife. All communities receive some benefits, but the winning village wins a reward which can include school equipment, veterinary services, healthcare items and tools.  The reward is decided by the community in close collaboration with onsite Born Free Conservation Ambassadors. The ceremony to present the reward is a moment of celebration for the community and an opportunity to learn about the amazing wildlife on their doorstep and confirm the direct link between the presence of wildlife and the provision of benefits.