Gonarezhou Predator Project

Project Animal(s) : Lions,african wild dogs,large carnivores
Project Category : Mammals
Project Region : Africa
Project Type : Conservation
Project URL : http://africanwildlifeconservationfund.org/gonarezhou-predator-project/
Project is timebound? : No

AWCF established the Gonarezhou Predator Project in 2009 in response to concerns over the Park’s severely depleted carnivore populations. The focal species are lions and African wild dogs, but all large carnivores are monitored and protected.Through research and monitoring, the AWCF was able to determine what was keeping the carnivore populations so supressed, and instigate methods and programs to address the threats and problems.

The team began work in 2009, carrying out annual spoor surveys to pick up on population trends of these species. Direct monitoring of certain species, collation of tourist data and ranger sightings and comprehensive park-wide call-up surveys conducted in 2012 and 2016, all contributed to a better understanding of the park’s large carnivores.

Identified threats for lions included over-hunting in the concessions surrounding the park, retaliatory killings for livestock attacks outside the park and a severely depleted prey base within the park, largely due to bushmeat poaching. For wild dogs, the main problem was lack of prey. Together with the ZPWMA and FZS, we instigated programs to address these threats, including a moratorium on lion hunting in the area until the population recovered, antipoaching (headed by FZS and PWMA) and a human-wildlife conflict mitigation program.

Project Agency : African Wildlife Conservation Fund in partnership with the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust,

Project Agency Contact : http://africanwildlifeconservationfund.org/

Project Researcher : Rosemary Groom, PhD

Project Researcher Contact : rosemary@africanwildlifeconservationfund.org