Communities And Wildlife Living Together In Harmony

The Southern African Conservation Trust (SACT) mission is to understand the fundamental drivers of conflict between communities and wildlife whilst also being creative in developing and implementing sustainable solutions.

We began supporting SACT in 2023 on two of their projects. The collar a lion project and Vusa the lion educational comic.

The Collar a Lion Project

The SACT plays a pivotal role in the Collar A Lion project, especially in the use of technology for conservation efforts. A primary method employed is fitting satellite GPS collars on dispersing lions, particularly on males aged between 2 and 3 years. The Collar A Lion project is an initiative aimed at conserving lions and promoting understanding of their importance in ecosystems.

These collared lions provide invaluable data on t heir movements, especially when they travel long distances in search of new territories. Such information is crucial for understanding routes for corridors between protected areas and ensuring the genetic diversity of lion populations. The collars also help in monitoring lions that might cause conflicts with nearby communities.

Collaboration with local communities is at the heart of the Collar A Lion project. The Trans Kalahari Predator Project team, WILDCRU – Wildlife Conservation And Research Unit – Oxford and SACT have established a system wherein they closely monitor lion prides situated on park boundaries, which are often in proximity to human settlements.

Thanks to the GPS satellite collars, the team can provide an early warning system to the communities, informing them about the whereabouts of lions. This not only allows locals to safeguard their livestock but also ensures that any potential threats from lions moving out of protected areas are swiftly addressed. In some cases, the team takes proactive measures to deter lions from community lands and guide them back into the protected areas.

Since 2023 the Trust has helped:

  • Fund five GPS tracking collars

Collared lioness

Vusa The Lion Guardian Comic

"Vusa the Lion Guardian" is an educational comic book developed to teach children in rural African communities about human-wildlife conflict and conservation. The narrative follows Vusa, a young boy living near a national park, as he learns about the importance of wildlife and strategies to coexist peacefully with animals like lions. The comic aims to foster positive attitudes toward wildlife conservation among young readers. The comic was first published in 2012 and has been distributed to rural schools in regions adjacent to national parks and protected areas. It serves as a tool to educate children on the value of their natural heritage and the significance of protecting endangered species.

The Southern African Conservation Trust (SACT) has been instrumental in producing and distributing this comic. They have also developed other titles in the series, such as "Vusa the Wildlife Guardian" and "Vusa the Vulture Guardian," to address various conservation topics. These comics are provided free of charge to schools, with the goal of creating future conservationists by instilling awareness and respect for wildlife from a young age.

Since 2023 the Trust has helped:

  • Fund the printing of 10,000 comics