With forever increasing human populations & anthropogenic pressures on wildlife populations, numbers continent-wide are dwindling. Current population trends for big cats across Africa are decreasing. Cheetah, leopard & lion populations are all suffering from habitat loss, human-habitat conflicts & individuals taken from the wild to place in captivity. Preservation of these species is only possible through education and research on the ground, at the heart of the problem.
The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure that nature will survive the many generations to come so that they may enjoy & also to recognize the importance of wildlife & wilderness for humans & other species alike. Conservation is a collaborative effort between communities, landowners, policy makers, educators, scientists ect. South Africa's big cats are threatened. Currently more than 6000 lions survive in captive environments while there are only 2000 in the wild.
Ongoing specialised research & provision of funds will enable a local research hub to purchase tracking devices & scientific equipment. This team is then able to carry out vital research on South Africa's big cats including behvioural studies & utilisation of resources. Information gathered by this team will be used to make well-informed management decisions for cheetah, lion and leopard on the reserve as well as contribute to scientific papers accessible to the greater scientific world.
This project will directly contribute to the conservation of South Africa's big cats. Research allows us to gain a better understanding of the incredible wildlife with whom we share this planet with. It is from here that we are able to properly manage and protect these species for generations to come.
