Rainfall further east is bringing prey further up the Huab riverbed, towards the settlements of De Riet in Torra Conservancy and Rennevoote along the Torra-Doro !Nawas Conservancy border. Over the past week the Lion Rangers and IRDNC Rapid Response Teams have been working alongside staff from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to keeps tabs on lions in the area. With the low density of prey there was some concern that the lions may be struggling to find food. However, extensive video and photographic evidence was reviewed and leading scientists and field practitioners agreed the lions are doing well considering the season and relative lack of rainfall, and thus prey.
Continue readingDesert Lion
New Early-Warning Towers
This past week the Lion Rangers and IRDNC Human-Wildlife Conflict Response teams headed to the conservancies of Sesfontein and Puros to deploy another pair of early-warning system towers. This innovative new system of collecting, storing, and disseminating lion data was pioneered by Dr. Philip Stander of Desert Lion Conservation and has become an invaluable tool and resource for communal herders in northwest Namibia as they manage the difficulties of living alongside the desert-adapted lions.
Continue readingLion Rangers – Covid Chronicles
Here is a brand new video from Travel Channel Namibia starring the Lion Rangers, program co-founder Dr. Philip Stander, and TOSCO founder and Lion Rangers Program Coordinator, Felix Vallat. In this video you can hear Rodney, and Rapid Response Leaders Linus and Cliff talk about the work of the Lion Rangers. Thanks so much to Covid Chronicles for spending time with the Lion Rangers and for bringing attention to the challenges they face.
Understanding Human-Lion Conflict
Lion Ranger program co-founders, Dr. Philip Stander and Russell Vinjevold, provide an in-depth explanation on the challenges of human-lion conflict within communal lands in northwest Namibia. Dr. Stander explains the challenges faced by local communities in arid northwest Namibia. In particular, Stander emphasizes the give-and-take between community needs and the lions’ needs following the outcomes of drought and livelihood reductions, which have been exacerbated by Covid-19.
Continue readingNew Home Range Maps for Coastal Roaming Lions
Dr. Stander has recently compiled new home range maps for lion prides utilizing the northern Namib coastal habitat. As outlined in his 2019 paper, Stander has uncovered extensive evidence of lions preying-upon marine species along the Skeleton Coast.
Continue readingTOSCO Lion Rangers Video
See this great video, created by Lion Ranger partner TOSCO, focusing on the work of Dr. Philip Stander of Desert Lion Conservation and including Puros Lion Ranger Berthus Tjipombo in a star turn. Felix Vallat, TOSCO Founder and Lion Ranger Program Coordinator, has been integral to supporting the conservation of Northwest Namibia’s desert-adapted lions for years. Dr. Stander is a co-founder of the Lion Ranger program and has been performing in-depth field research on the desert-adapted lions since 1997.
Death of XPL-69
One of the great privileges of working closely with wild animals is getting to know individuals, their behaviors, tendencies, and quirks. Over the past few years the Lion Rangers have spent large amounts of time monitoring an older lioness known as XPL-69. This great privilege can also be a source of sadness when a known individual passes-away. This past week the body of XPL-69 was discovered by Dr. Stander after she died due to an apparent punctured lung from a porcupine. She was 13.5 years young. You can read his full account at desertlion.info.
Continue readingCoastal Lion Observations
Over the past week Dr. Stander has been monitoring lions along the Skeleton Coast. This is part of Stander’s increasing data on marine foraging among the desert-adapted lions – groundbreaking work! While harsh weather is stressing the prides along the coast and inland riverbeds, this is part of life in the desert.
Continue readingNew Desert Lion Documentary!
In December 2019, reporters and camera operators from the Eastern Broadcasting Company of Taiwan spent time with Lion Ranger co-founder, Dr. Philip Stander. The resulting documentary follows Dr. Stander as he monitors and collects data on XPL-69 and XPL-114 (‘Charlie’), giving viewers an incredible glimpse into how his life and the lives of the desert-adapted lions intersect. Of particular interest are extended discussions with Dr. Stander about his more than thirty years working with lions in northwest Namibia and his devotion to his calling. It is so great that the story of the desert-adapted lions continues to be communicated around the world!
An Urgent Translocation
In February a female lioness, XPL-121, was shot near a farm in the Anabeb Conservancy. She had been struggling to feed her three cubs, due to low numbers of prey in the area, and was increasingly encroaching on farmers’ livestock. In the following days the IRDNC Rapid Response Teams, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism staff, and Lion Rangers, worked tirelessly to try to capture the newly orphaned cubs. They were unsuccessful. This was considered an urgent matter as the cubs were unable to feed themselves. Thankfully, the Anabeb Conservancy stepped in. In the ensuing months conservancy management and members donated donkeys to feed the orphaned cubs and ensure their survival until they could be safely captured and translocated away from danger.
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