Real-Time Lion Alert System Doubles Big Cat Population in Botswana
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📰 The quick summary: A real-time alert system in Botswana is helping communities protect their cattle from lions while allowing the endangered big cat population to more than double over the past four years.
📈 One key stat: The alert system has enrolled 389 community members and issued more than 50,000 alerts in the last six years, helping to reverse the decline of African lion populations that have decreased by about half in the last 25 years.
💬 One key quote: “By asking people to name these animals in their local language, we’re trying to engage with them and create a connection between the individual animals,” Andrew Stein told Mongabay.
1️⃣ The big picture: An innovative conservation program in Botswana is transforming how local communities coexist with lions. The Claws Conservancy, led by Andrew Stein, has developed an automated real-time alert system that warns villagers when collared lions approach their cattle or homes. This technology allows people to take preventive measures rather than resorting to poisoning, which previously killed numerous lions and other wildlife. The initiative includes training local herders in rangeland ecology and veterinary practices, while creating a market for certified wildlife-friendly beef. Thanks to this holistic approach addressing both human needs and wildlife conservation, the lion population in the region has more than doubled in just four years.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The program has succeeded where many conservation efforts fail by directly addressing local economic needs while protecting wildlife. By creating a market for certified wildlife-friendly beef, communities now see economic value in protecting lions rather than eliminating them. The communal herding program has improved cattle productivity and provided employment opportunities for local people, while simultaneously repairing degraded rangelands. Most importantly, the lion population has more than doubled in just four years, offering hope for a species that has declined by half across Africa in recent decades. This holistic approach demonstrates that conservation can benefit both people and wildlife when it addresses core community concerns.
3️⃣ What’s next: The Claws Conservancy aims to expand its herding program across all 13 villages in the region, hoping to incorporate 80-85% of the area’s approximately 16,000 cattle. They’re exploring how planned grazing can help sequester carbon and reverse environmental degradation from overgrazing. With growing interest from additional villages, the organization is working to secure more resources to scale this successful model throughout the landscape.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Learning to live with lions: Interview with Claw Conservancy’s Andrew Stein
