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With
lion population 'guestimates' ranging from 600 – 1000 adults and
sub-adults, found only in the northernmost reaches of Namibia, i.e. to the
west & north in the Kunene Region & Etosha National
Park, Khaudum Park to the east and the Caprivi Region to the northeast,
Afri-Leo set out developing a comprehensive programme in support of the
long term conservation & protection of the Namibian lion.
The
three focus areas for Afri-Leo were defined as follows:
• Environmental Education & Awareness
Youth of all ages are encouraged to become involved
in this programme, where active participation enables them to learn more
about lions in general, their role within the natural ecosystem and the
problems facing lions due to loss of ideal habitat, disease and drought.
Issues such as Human-Wildlife Conflict and improved livestock protection
methods encourage problem-solving within the farming communities.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation and
Community Support
To mitigate Human-Wildlife Conflict on communal and
free-hold farmland, thereby reducing poverty and uplifting these affected
communities as a direct result of improved livestock management. Fewer losses
allows for greater tolerance of predators, contributing to the long term
survival of the wild lion (Panthera leo).
 • Welfare
The lions of the Afri-Leo Sanctuary form an integral
part of the Environmental Education Programme, where students and tourists
visiting the Environmental Education Centre are introduced to lion conservation & Human-Wildlife
Conflict Mitigation. Students & tourists are also present during the
annual veterinary examinations, providing information and hands-on
experience for all.
Through Environmental Education, Research and the Human-Wildlife Conflict
Mitigation programmes, AfriCat North is in a position to ensure the long-term
survival of the Namibian Lion (Panthera leo), as well as other large carnivore
species.
Since its inception, Afri-Leo has worked closely with the AfriCat Foundation,
founded in 1991 on the family farm, Okonjima. Due to the ever-increasing
demands of carnivore conservation, a mutual decision was reached to merge
these groups under the AfriCat banner.
Afri-Leo’s programmes and projects will continue and expand under the name
AfriCat North.
Pictures
from top:
Environmental Education is the key to wildlife conservation.
 AfriCat North and volunteers provide critical support to local communities.
Fencing material is donated regularly to surrounding communities.
Many hands make light work when it comes to building kraals which are essential
for protection from predators.
Pictured is an example of a recently upgraded community kraal.
AfriCat North is fortunate to have a donated support vehicle.
The lions at the AfriCat North Carnivore Care Centre are ambassadors for
their species.
Research is an important component of any conservation programme.
 The AfriCat Club makes a difference
The Afri-Leo Club (now AfriCat) started out in 1998,
soon after the inception of the Afri-Leo Foundation. A group of
ecology students at the Namib High School in Swakopmund 'adopted' one of
the lionesses rescued from the Ekongoro Zoo in Rundu. During the next few
years, these dedicated students raised funds for the general upkeep of the
lioness called Tawala, visiting her approximately 3 times per year as groups
made their way up to Kaross, the Afri-Leo Headquarters, to learn more about
the animals they set out to protect.
Members
of the AfriCat Club have committed their spare time to creating
awareness of the plight of the Namibian Lion: they have raised
much-needed funds for meat and the annual health check at the Lion Sanctuary
and sourced donations for articles such as paint, paint brushes & curtaining
for the classroom. Some dedicate their evenings to baby-sitting and
others support the local SPCA by walking the dogs and cleaning
cages – 'pocket money' earned in this way is donated to AfriCat.
Others have spent Saturday mornings assisting the local Municipality
with the Desert Clean-Up Campaign.
June 2010 saw National Biodiversity Day celebrated in
their coastal home-town - the 'lion-masked' Club members built
an impressive float onboard a truck, boasting the motto "Lions
belong in the Circle of Life"!
The final visit of the year brought a group of enthusiastic students up
to AfriCat North – their task, to support a communal farmer by building
a stronger kraal to protect his cattle and goats from marauding cheetah.
"Building the kraal was quite hard work but just
the thought of making someone’s life just a little bit easier,
kept me motivated!" - Parting words from one of the AfriCat Club members,
October 2010.
Pictures from top:
The AfriCat Club participate in a Clean-Up Campaign in the Namib Desert
each year.
As part of the 2010 National Biodiversity Day, the AfriCat Club built a
colourful float to join the parade.
The lion-themed float at the coastal town of Swakopmund attracted a lot
of attention.
AfriCat Club members helped to build the Dorsland Kraal in October 2010.
Conservation & Communities
Today, when AfriCat’s support vehicle, (donated
by the Okorusu Fluorspar Mine) arrives at Lantine and Andreas’
humble homes in the Khoa di //Hoas Conservancy along the western boundary
of the Etosha National Park, we are met with smiles and a greeting which
tells of Lions & Cheetahs who came
to prey on their cattle but left without success.....their cattle
and goats now lie safely at night within the confines of one of
the predator-proof kraals (pens) built by AfriCat!
The AfriCat Conservation & Communities Programme, initiated in 2002
by Afri-Leo (now AfriCat North), aims at mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflict
on communal farms by improving livestock management & protection methods.
In general, farming methods in these areas are outdated and high annual
livestock losses to marauding predators result in the destruction of large
numbers of Cheetah and Lion, specifically.
Students visiting the AfriCat North Environmental Education Centre actively
assist the communal farmers in building stronger kraals (pens) for improved
protection.
Solutions to the ever-present Human-Wildlife Conflict, is imperative to
the success of Namibia’s wildlife conservation programmes as well as to
poverty reduction amongst a large number of communal farmers.
 Pictures from top:
Broken boundary fences and kraals (pens) offer no protection from predators.
The fences in this area are usually damaged by elephant and warthog and
constantly need to be monitored and repaired. Traditional kraal building
and farming practices do not always offer adequate protection from predators.
Poisoning, gin-traps and box traps are methods commonly used to catch predators.
All three methods are cruel and cause drawn out suffering to the animals.
Here, a lioness is shown caught in gin-trap on a farm bordering the Etosha
National Park.
 Predators are tolerated by rural communities as long as their livestock
is safeguarded. Improved livestock protection methods include reinstating
herdsman and guard dogs who remain with their animals while grazing in the
bush.
The Etosha Boundary Fence Project, assists neighbouring farmers with electric
fencing - preventing burrowing by aardvark, warthogs and porcupines and
subsequent predator movement. Based on the results of the monitoring programme
conducted in 2001 and 2002, AfriCat North committed to supporting the upgrading
of certain sections of the southern boundary of the Etosha National Park
- so-called 'hotspots' - where cross border lion movement increases seasonally.
Students and volunteers help build stronger kraals. This kind of joint
activity increases awareness amongst the youth, of the fact that solutions
can and should be found to mitigate Human-Wildlife Conflict for the future
safeguarding of our heritage.
Okorusu Fluorspar
 In November last year, AfriCat North proudly received the first of two
donated vehicles from Okorusu Fluorspar Mine.
These vehicles are to be used to provide much-needed support for livestock
farmers and carnivore conservation in the north-western part of Namibia.
Earlier in 2010, the Okorusu Community Trust pledged
their support of AfriCat’s Carnivores & Communities Programme.
It is envisaged that by mid-2011, the Okorusu –
AfriCat Communal Carnivore Conservation Project (CCCP) will be in a position
to effectively mitigate carnivore-related conflict (especially Lion) on
communal & commercial
farms, as well as support the conservation of large carnivores
along Etosha’s borders and elsewhere in Namibia.
The Okorusu Community Trust receives funding from
the Okorusu Fluorspar Mine for needy projects in the fields of
Health, Education & Environment.
Okorusu’s commitment to the environmental pillar of the Trust is
in line with its slogan "giving back to the Earth".
Sincere thanks also to Rubicon Radios and Tyres 2000 for their most generous
support for the communication devices and tyres, respectively.
Pictures from top:
The vehicle donated by Okorusu Fluorspar Mine is used to visit communities
and assess their needs.
Tusk Trust assists AfriCat Foundation
 The AfriCat Foundation is now working actively with Tusk Trust to raise
funds in the UK. Tusk has supported AfriCat for many years and provided
key funding for veterinary costs and capital projects. Both the purchase
of a plane for transport and tracking of animals and the materials and construction
of the fence for the 4,000ha Cheetah Rehabilitation enclosure was funded
by Tusk.
Tusk has been working for over 20 years to support conservation across
sub-Saharan Africa. They offer us expertise in a broad range of fundraising
activities and participation in the many events they run during the year.
You can learn more about their work at www.tusk.org.
To make a donation to AfriCat through Tusk, send a cheque made
out to 'Tusk Trust', with a covering note that states that the
donation 'is for the benefit of Africat, Namibia'.
Please send cheques to:
Tusk Trust
4, Cheapside House,
High Street,
Gillingham,
Dorset.
SP8 4AA
U.K.
 OKONJIMA and AFRICAT - How It Works:
Guests come to Okonjima to see AfriCat. Okonjima provides
the accommodation, service and the ability to experience what AfriCat does!
Okonjima is responsible for 94% of the funding of the whole Project, while
AfriCat is responsible for the Carnivore Care Centre. AfriCat is reliant
on donations which represents 6% of total running costs.
OKONJIMA’S 94% cover includes the following:
Building & Maintenance of ALL AFRICAT infrastructure
like: roads, fences, fire-breaks, the airstrip, river-crossings, and buildings.
Supplies water points & bore-holes.
Maintenance of all vehicles.
Installations & Maintenance of ALL communication systems. (telephones,
2-way-radios, computers)
Covers all security on premises and maintenance of security systems
and security guards.
Supplied the National Okonjima Power grid & standby generators.
Acquisition of all new farmland and game introductions.
Payment of all Government land taxes.
Supplies additional staff during large projects.
Building and Maintenance of all staff housing.
Payment of 95% of all staff salaries.
Payment of 95% of AfriCat’s advertising.
So without tourism and without Okonjima – there would be no AfriCat
– there would be no story like this to tell.
If you would like to donate to AfriCat Namibia, please click on the link
below, print out the pdf, complete the form and return it to us.
DONATE
The AfriCat Foundation DOES NOT solicit funding or donations through third
party mechanisms, such as PayPal or similar. Please contact the Tusk Trust
www.tusk.org, or donate directly to AfriCat Namibia.
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Afri-Leo was registered as a Welfare Organisation in 1997 by Tammy
Hoth (the eldest of the Hanssen siblings), and her husband Uwe,
who were at that point still livestock farmers. They were intent
on finding workable solutions for the ever-present farmer-lion
conflict on their farm Kaross, as well as neighbouring farms adjacent
to the Etosha National Park. Their work later extended to the communal
farming areas along the western, north-western and northern boundaries,
where the Park boundary fence is porous and in need of regular
maintenance. 
Livestock are easy prey to predators and high losses have been
commonplace since the early 50s, when the first commercial farms
alongside Etosha were proclaimed. In 1953, Uwe’s father bought
the 10 000 ha Kaross farm, sharing a common border with western
Etosha. The family developed a successful Karakul sheep and commercial
cattle business. With the drilling of boreholes, available water
and large numbers of livestock, this farm like many others, was
constantly targeted by Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyaena and Wild Dog.
In order to survive the onslaught, and with no assistance from
Park authorities, the farmers were forced to destroy large numbers
of predators - gin traps, poison and shooting were the order of
the day. Even the last wild dogs in this area were destroyed in
the 1960s. 
