What was the objective?
With lion numbers halved in 25 years, lions, their habitats and prey need to be protected, coexisting with local communities. Leading safari operators have joined to create the Lionscape Coalition, which contributes to the Lion Recovery Fund. The objective is to double the number of lions in Africa by 2050, improve the management of their habitats, promote awareness and drive funds for lion conservation.
Describe the implementation
Each founding member contributes USD50k annually. Half is used to fund lion conservation projects of the member’s choice in areas where they operate and have an influence – almost 7.5 million hectares in 10 African countries. The other half goes towards lion conservation and habitat protection in areas with little to no tourism, where lions receive less protection.
What were the results?
To date, the LRF has deployed more than USD5.5 million in support of 53 projects by 35 different conservation organisations across 17 countries. The success of the Lionscape Coalition has encouraged 3 new members to join this pioneering initiative – commercial competitors coming together to exceed their conservation reach beyond the mainstream tourism circuit to other areas in dire need of support.