Health Benefits Help Lions And Humans Co-Exist in East Africa

Human-wildlife conflict is a big issue in parts of Africa, but a new initiative is proving to be a successful idea.

Credit: Lion Landscapes

One of the main threats to conservation is that local people receive little or no tangible, relevant benefits from wildlife presence, in order to outweigh the costs that such wildlife can impose. So, Lion Landscapes, a non-profit, has stepped in to help solve this age-old conflict with a grassroots initiative that aims to improve human-wildlife co-existence.

It’s called CCT+ (Community Camera Trapping Plus), an enterprising initiative that encourages locals to support camera trap placements for wildlife monitoring in exchange for a choice of community benefits. It's a simple process whereby villagers are trained to place and monitor trail cameras in strategic locations in their neighbourhood. Every animal the cameras capture on video earns points, with more points awarded for more threatened or conflict-causing species. For example, a lion or hyena generates more points than a small antelope.

This gamified system in turn provides ample wildlife data for researchers. But it also helps communities. Each quarter, points are tallied, and benefits are distributed among participating villages. The communities get to choose what they receive: Healthcare benefits, veterinary treatment, school supplies, and other options. The quarterly results are published in order to inspire some friendly competition.

CCT+ also encourages locals to reduce harm to wildlife. “Besides earning benefits from the presence of wildlife, extra benefits can be earned if people take actions to help conservation, such as fortifying livestock enclosures,” says Lion Landscapes. “This program has been very successful in helping community development and improving tolerance for wildlife on village land."

The program began with communities in Tanzania and now also operates in Kenya and Mozambique.