Leo Foundation

Dedicated to saving large carnivores

Cameroon

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.

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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Article published! Divergent trends of large carnivore populations within the Bénoué Complex, North Cameroon, shown by long-term fine-scale monitoring

Leo Foundation is happy to announce that the results of our large carnivore studies in North Cameroon had finally been published! In this study we show the long term trends of large carnivore populations in space and time. This new baseline is essential for determining conservation efforts in the area in the future. We thanks our lion guards for their tremendous effort in gathering all the data in the field, all authors and co-authors in compiling all data into this important article. Last, this research has only been possible with the financial help of US Fish andWildlife Service, World Wildlife Fund and Prins Bernhard Natuur Fonds!

Curious about the article? You can read it HERE

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Trends in de carnivore populations in Bouba Ndjida NP, North Cameroon.

The results of the study implemented by staff of the Leo foundation and students of Leiden University in Bouba Ndjida NP, North Cameroon, have now been published in African Journal of Ecology. This study showed that lion and spotted hyena populations in Bouba Ndjida NP seem to have increased between 2005 and 2014. This result was base on a comparison between a calling station survey that Leo Foundation has performed in 2014 with the calling station survey performed by dr Hans Bauer of Wildcru, Oxford in 2005. This project has been sponsored by US Fish and Wildlife Service and Prins Bernhard Natuurfonds.Read More

Successful second Childrens Bushcamp

The second Children’s Bushcamp of the Leo Foundation in Cameroon was a big success! This April 216 children and their teachers stayed one and a half day at Bénoué National Park. During an interactive program the children learned about the flora and fauna of the nature close to home. ‘Both the children as their teachers told us that they learned many new things regarding nature,’ reports Elise Bakker from the field.Read More