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.
The Lion guards in Waza NP
Waza NP is located in the extreme north of Cameroon and is currently under extreme pressure. Because this part of Cameroon has been unstable and unsafe in recent years, protecting Waza NP has been very challenging. Locals have moved into the park, and poaching and conflict is an almost daily problem. As a result, the small population of lions in the park is now under great pressure. One of the first steps to improve the protection of Waza NPis to monitor the population of lions and other wildlife. Our ‘Lion Guards’, who are supported through the contribution from the auction, have an important role in this. The data they gather are being used to make conservation strategies as effective as possible.
Ringing of the Goshawks
During the ringing excursion, the chicks were carefully removed from the nest, measured and provided with a ring. The chicks were then put back safely in the nest. All while mother goshawk kept an eye on the scene from a short distance.
The ringing of goshawk chicks helps to reveal the hidden lives of the birds. When a ring is retrieved in the field, or when a ringed bird is found dead, this provides important information about the survival and the dispersal of individuals. The insights gained from this long-term research project are extremely valuable.
Our sponsors enjoyed this beautiful sunny, but also very instructive day! We thank them for their contribution to the ‘Lion Guards’ in Cameroon.
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