Last month, chair Hans the Iongh of Leo Foundation visited the Nairobi Lion Project in Kenya, a project that is coordinated by PhD student Francis Lesilau. A very successful visit with many aspects and activities.
The theme of this visit was the effective mitigation of conflicts between pastoralists and lions. In Nairobi NP, different methods are used to increase the effectiveness. One of these methods is the application of flash lights, working on solar panels, to a boma, which deters curious lions in the night. This project is supported by friends of Nairobi National Park. Those bomas work very well and conflict was reduced significantly. Hans de Iongh has visited the chair of the Maasai Committee, Nixon Parmissa, to see these bomas that were equipped with flashlights.
The Leo Foundation also supported Kenya Wildlife Service with putting satellite collars on lions. These collars send text messages to mobile phones as soon as the lion leaves a certain area. Because of this, local pastoralists can be alarmed in time to protect their cattle if a lion exits the park and may cause conflict. Also, a new poster was presented for the Nairobi Lion project to the Director of the Naivasha Training institute, dr. Charles Musyoki. The poster will be distributed widely around Nairobi NP in schools, dispensaries and other public places. The aim of the poster action is to inform local communities about the progress of the Nairobi Lion project and its contribution to conflict prevention and mitigation.
Besides those activities, Hans de Iongh has also visited the MSc. project of Britt Klaassen, who is working on cheetahs. Leo foundation has adopted the project of Britt.
The trip turned out to be very successful. Based on all experiences, Leo Foundation will continue to look for opportunities to support those project even more in the future.
Leave a Comment