Wolves in the Netherlands mainly feed on wild animals such as wild boar and red and roe deer. But in areas such as Drenthe where these are scarce they also prey on free-roaming cattle used for nature conservation. This is according to new research analysing wolf scat across the country.
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New Study: Fishing Cats Have Much Larger Home Ranges Than Previously Thought
A recent study in Nepal revealed that the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) has a significantly larger home range than previously assumed. GPS tracking in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve found that home ranges of these rare cats average between 29 and 40 square kilometers.
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Leo Foundation contributes to the organization of a meeting for African Lion Working Group at Mpala, Kenya.
In 2019, a team from Leo Foundation did organise the periodical meeting of the African Lion Working Group (ALWG). The ALWG is the platform for scientists, conservationists and other people who are involved in lion conservation, and is linked to the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). The group has over 120 members, of which 64 were present during the meeting. Regular meetings are thé opportunity where members can share experience and knowledge with each other. As a result, lion conservation and research can be improved.
The participants
At the start of November, 64 lion protectors from 4 continents met each other at the Mpala research center in Kenya. Leo Foundation has receives additional funding from the Lion Recovery Fund and Houston Zoo (USA). This supported the participation of lion conservationists from West/Central Africa and India to the meeting. This is very important because this region represents the northern subspecies of the lion, and many populations in this region are on the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, local researchers in these regions often have few resources to attend international meetings. We are therefore grateful that with this support 7 leading lion conservationists from Senegal, Benin, Cameroon, Niger, Sudan and India were able to participate in this important meeting.
The program
It was a successfull meeting, held on a beautiful location. The first two days, a wide selection of presentations were given. Presented topics were; the current status of the lion per region, challenges in lion conservation, the role of genetic research, coexistence with local communities, and the trade in lion bones and body parts. After each session, presented topics were discussed and interesting point of view were raised. The last two days, we visited various projects in the Laikipia area. In these excursions it became clear how in a commercial way of cattle herding and a thriving population of large carnivores can go hand in hand. We have visited different types of bombs, learned about the use of GPS collars with lions. Lastly, we were introduced to the Lion Rangers Program that runs in the area.
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