Lions have no natural predators in the wild, and yet the lion population in Africa has collapsed by up to 50% in the last 20 years. This sharp decline is a result of our own human impact and means that lions have been officially labelled as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN Redlist.*
To help halt this dramatic decline and safeguard the future of an animal close to our hearts and at the centre of our logo, Kingspan entered a three-year partnership with the
Born Free Foundation, as 2019 drew to a close. Born Free has been fighting for lions’ survival since 1966 and is an established and accomplished charity in the field of conservation and protection. With this partnership we can join them in the fight. Working together, we will ensure this incredible species is safeguarded for the future.
In particular, this partnership focuses attention on Born Free’s existing
Pride of Meru project in the Meru-Kora landscape. Home of
Elsa the Lion who inspired the classic wildlife film
Born Free, this area has been hit hard by human poaching and banditry, which in turn has had dramatic implications for the lion population.
Climate change and other factors have led to lions encroaching on livestock and areas inhabited by humans. Through the Kingspan partnership, Born Free can track and monitor the remaining lions in Elsa’s Pride, warning the people of Meru if the lions are approaching, thus protecting both people and the Pride. This monitoring also ensures the team are gathering data on how to help mitigate the threats facing these endangered animals, including poaching, with additional conservation activity geared towards the message of co-existence.
Meru Conservation Area Research Officer, Newton Simiyu understands how the monitoring activity is enabling Born Free’s conservation goals: