Ultimate Safaris donates vehicle to Lion Ranger program

Ultimate Safaris’ Conservation Travel Foundation, along with its local partners, has generously donated a Toyota Land Cruiser 4.2 Single Cab worth N$700,000 to the Lion Ranger Project’s Eastern Kunene Rapid Response team.

This donation will enable the team to continue their vital work in ensuring the survival of Namibia’s unique desert-adapted lions while mitigating human-wildlife conflict.

The Lion Ranger program focuses on the long-term sustainable management of human-lion conflict by communities in northwest Namibia, utilizing satellite tracking and an innovative early-warning system developed in Namibia.

This system involves the installation of towers on farms located in human-lion conflict zones. When a collared lion approaches, the system sends SMS alerts to farmers and Lion Rangers, while lights and sirens notify the farmer of the lion’s presence.

The Lion Rangers then respond to the area, assisting farmers and, if necessary, encouraging lions to return to Protected Areas like Etosha National Park.

The Lion Rangers’ success lies in the collaboration between communal, governmental, and non-governmental stakeholders. As a community-driven initiative, the rangers are conservancy-employed game guards who receive specialized training and equipment to manage human-lion conflicts on communal lands.

The program’s goal is to create a sustainable coexistence where both lions and rural communities can thrive together.