DLCT / MEFT Collaring Campaign ReportBack
Wednesday 15 June 2022
The purpose of the campaign was to target prides in four specific areas over a 10 day period, with the focus being on areas with a high potential for Human Wildlife Conflict.
The participating stakeholders in the campaign consisted of three Human Wildlife Support Teams (IRDNC), the Lion Rangers in the affected areas, the Ministry of Environment Forestry and Tourism and Desert Lion Conservation.
After receiving reports from rangers on the ground who had been tracking lions for the last several days in preparation for the campaign, the decision was made start in the vicinity of Otjakamaruru (a high risk area), with the aim to locate the lioness XPL140 and possibly her sister. The lionesses had returned to this area after having been translocated in April, and had since their return been closely monitored by MEFT / IRDNC.
Three days were spent tracking the lionesses, who unfortunately remained inaccessible in the mountains, and extremely skittish of vehicles (possibly related to the recent translocation). A difficult decision was made to move the campaign to new ground.
Unfortunately, on the one night that the Human Wildlife Support Team was not on location, the two lionesses were poisoned after having predated on donkeys. The carcasses were located by IRDNC a few days later and the case handed over to MEFT / PRU.
The team received reports that the Hoanib females, accompanied by a subadult male, had been tracked from the Giribes plains, via the Obias river and into the Mudarib River. The decision was made to move the efforts to this area, as the satellite collars on the females needed to be replaced.
The team was successful in locating the lionesses and replacing the collars. Both lionesses were observed to be in good physical condition.
After a successful operation in the Hoanib, the collaring campaign team moved into the Anabeb Conservancy. In the last few days, a pride of three females and an uncollared male had been tracked in this area. The first night did not prove successful. However, the next morning two mature male lions (both collared) were observed in good condition and several other lions were located in the evening. The second night was successful in that a satellite collar was fitted on a young lioness OPL18, and the collar of male lion OPL3 was changed for a new satellite collar during the early morning hours.
A pride of 3 to 4 uncollared lions have been active in Torra Conservancy for several months, and have been observed preying on giraffes. Key lions areas in Torra were scanned until the lions were found. A satellite collar was fitted to a young fully grown lioness now identified as XPL142. The grass condition is good after the rain and herds of mountain zebras and springboks have been observed repopulating the area after years of drought.
The results of the campaign far exceeded expectations, with five collars having been fitted in the period of one week. Specific thanks go to Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC), Lion Rangers , Conservation Travel Foundation, TOSCO, Wide Horizons, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism Namibia and Ecosafaris for their invaluable human, logistical and financial support.
