Leo Foundation

Dedicated to saving large carnivores

Elise Bakker

A successful rescue!

Researcher Rama Mishra Lamichane of the Terai Fishing Cat Project, Nepal, received some disturbing news. A fishing cat got stuck in a fish trap in a hume pipe. It turned out to be one of the research animals with a satellite collar. Thanks to the satellite signal the project team was quickly on site and the animal was rescued quickly and could be released without further injury. The satellite collar is mainly used to map conflict between fishing cats and the local population, but also in this emergency situation the satellite signal proved to be very helpful.

Update on rescue plan for Waza National Park, Cameroon

After revealing the precarious state of Waza National Park, Leo Foundation and partner organizations have taken further steps to safeguard this important biodiversity hotspot for future generations.


In a letter initiated by Leo Foundation and its partners in Cameroon and signed by the Director General of IUCN International , IUCN urges the Cameroonian Minister of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) to seek new partnerships in order to step up current management efforts and rescue Waza National Park. The good news is that we have received a positive response that the Cameroonian government will support the proposed initiative to restore Waza NP.


We are thankful to our partners in Cameroon, IUCN, Lion Recovery Fund, GlobeGuards and (international) l NGOs for endorsing and supporting our action to save Waza National Park and help the current threatened lion population to recover.

Lions in West and Central Africa on the brink of extinction

Until recently, lions could occurred throughout Africa, including on the savannah areas of West and Central Africa. Nowadays, no more than 2000 lions remain in this vast area. And while North Africa still harbored lions well into the last century, this iconic cat species has vanished from this part of the continent. A similar scenario may occur in West and Central Africa.

GlobeGuards member Leo Foundation is committed to protecting the endangered lions of Central Africa, specifically the population in Waza National Park (Cameroon). The lion  population has been decreasing for years. A few years ago, a survey estimated the population to consist of around 30 adult lions, but the latest census showed that a population of only a maximum of 15 lions is left. Besides that, also the prey species they depend upon are declining.

Between 1988 and 2003 Waza National Park received more than 12 million euros in support of wildlife conservation and community development. Chairman of Leo Foundation, Professor Hans de Iongh, will explain the current situation in Waza National Park today at 14:45 during a press conference in Burgers’ Zoo, organized by Globe Guards. The Dutch involvement in Waza National Park and the position of the local communities inhabiting the area will be discussed.

Event Leo foundation in Burgers zoo

On Tuesday 28th of September, Leo Foundation organized an event on big cat conservation for the sponsors that had contributed to the Bhopal Tiger project through the online GlobeGuards auction in May this year.

Hans de Iongh and Shekhar Kolipaka of the Leo board held presentations on the conservation of lions in Africa and the research on tigers in Bhopal, India. After the presentations, the group was treated on an exclusive guided tour to meet the zoo’s lions and cheetahs.

We are very grateful to Burgers’ Zoo for facilitating this successful event!

Hyenas FC supports Leo Foundation and spotted hyenas

A football club that goes by the name of Hyenas FC? Perhaps it’s an unusual choice of a name, but it actually makes a lot of sense! In fact, the intelligent and organized system used by spotted hyenas during a hunt, compares extremely well to the tactics a football team uses when hunting for a goal. All the more reason to help the spotted hyena lose its negative stigma.

To this end, Hyenas FC has launched a sponsorship campaign to help improve the protection of hyenas in Africa. During their matches, large banners will be placed around the field and there will be a collection box. The revenues of this action will go entirely to the hyena projects of Leo Foundation. We are very grateful for the support Hyenas FC is giving us, and are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration. On behalf of the ‘real hyenas’: Thank you!

Read more about our hyena projects HERE!

Fishing cat collared in Nepal

Good news! Our colleague Rama Mishra Lamichane and her team recently collared a fishing cat in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in Nepal with a satellite collar. The aim of the collaring is to better understand the behavior of this elusive and endangered cat species, and to monitor conflicts with local fishpond owners. Eventually the team hopes to establish appropriate protection measures that would allow for a coexistence between fishing cats and local farmers. This study is supported by Leo Foundation.

Excursion to ring goshawks at the Veluwe

During the online auction by the GlobeGuards and Venduehuis Den Haag last month, we auctioned an excursion to ring goshawks at the Veluwe. This auction lot supports our Lion Guards project in Waza National Park, Cameroon. The excursion took place on Tuesday 8 June. Raptor researcher Ralph Buij showed the sponsors how the goshawk chicks are being tagged with a ring and  explained the purpose of the research.

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Article on the translocation of problem lions in National Geographic

Leo Foundation was asked to contribute to an article in National Geographic Magazine, discussing the impact of lion translocations in Africa.

In some areas, lions and other large carnivores are considered problem animals when they have attacked or killed livestock. In such cases, livestock owners often try to kill the problem animal to prevent further losses. As a non-lethal alternative, local conservation organizations are transferring such animals to more remote areas, where they are less likely to cause problems.

The article concludes however that these translocated animals often have high mortality, highlighting the importance of other solutions that could resolve ongoing human-lion conflict cases. To this end, Leo Foundation supports projects in Kenia that investigate the effectiveness of locally implemented measures, for instance by building lion-proof enclosures to protect livestock or by looking into compensation schemes for impacted livestock owners.

You can find the full article HERE

Leo Foundation takes action for the preservation of Waza NP, Cameroon

Waza National Parc, located in the Extreme North of Cameroon, is unique in many aspects. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the parc offers a great biodiversity value and it is the only protected nature reserve in this Sahel region. According to the latest population survey of 2019 , the parc still holds some 20 individuals of the endangered northern subspecies of lion.

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