Posts Tagged ‘Mozambique’

Nov
08

Reflecting from Mozambique…

Posted by in Africa,Carnivores,community-based conservation,Conservation,Field Research

Houston Zoo staff are currently assisting our conservation partners at the Niassa Lion Project (NLP) in Mozambique. This blog was written by one of our Carnivore Staff, Angie Pyle.
I have always thought of conservation as field research, photography, and educating others with the information gathered from both of these resources.  This trip to Mozambique has shown me that conservation is a very complicated web that also involves agriculture, healthcare, transportation, politics, hunting, community development, and religion to name a few.  For every action taken to help save a species there is an equal reaction within the local communities.  The consequences of each action must be carefully considered before the action is put into place.  If not the reaction has the potential to be devestating to the species, or to the entire ecosystem.

Angie helping to prepare for Lion Fun Days in Mozambique. Photo by NLP.

If we don’t consider the lifestyle, culture, religious beliefs, and history of the communitities we are working around, then any progress we make may be short lived.  If we work with the local communities and give them a voice then the solutions have a better chance of working.  The communities must be entrusted with the responsibility to protect their own wildlife.  Before the communities are given this responsibility they must first learn more about the wildlife that surrounds them, and how to live within it.

Great turnout from the community on Lion Fun Days! Photo by NLP.

Keith and Colleen have given a lot of thought to every action taken by NLP.  With a growing staff of almost 60 people from the local village they are earning the trust and respect of the local communities.  Although every meeting at the local village council may not end up exactly the way NLP would like it, the point is that the chiefs are including NLP and listening to their concerns.  Earning trust and gaining responsibility takes time.  A little extra time and effort given today could yield a lot more time for our lions in the future.

The Houston Zoo Graphics Team designed this lion cutout for kids to use during Lion Fun Days in Mozambique! Photo by NLP.

The extent that NLP is involved with the communities of Niassa is both impressive and inspiring.  The longevity of the project is what sets NLP apart from other projects like it.  Keith and Colleen are training their staff and giving them the project responsibilities.  Someday soon, the lions in Niassa will be protected by the people of Niassa.

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Oct
31

Houston Zoo staff, Elephants and people in the Niassa Reserve in Mozambique.

Posted by in Africa,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research

Well, I have been here in the Niassa Reserve with the Niassa Lion Project for three days now and we have had some of the best wildlife viewing  from right outside the tent.  I am here to assist with conservation activities and to find ways the Houston Zoo can deepen their relationship with this unique and awesome community-based conservation project.

Houston Zoo employees Angie and Renee outside the camp on the Lugenda River, with elephants behind them.

Wildlife viewing is a given when visiting field-based conservation camps, but no one could have prepared me for the show we were in store for here. Earlier today, 30-40 elephants were just outside our tent. They sounded like a group of bulldozers as some of them crashed around in the trees and bushes.  We sat and watched them with local teachers that had come to camp from nearby villages to help us prepare for some conservation activities we will be doing with the villages in a few days. Elephants often raid crops in their villages and kill village members that attempt to stop them, so we were happy to share in this rare peaceful experience they were having with these elephants.   I was delighted to see that they seemed to watch them with the same amount of intrigue and amazement as we did.  I think this was the first time they saw them without feeling any kind of fear.  

Daily routine of bringing water up from the river for drinking, cooking and bathing.

The Niassa Lion Project is actively trying to reduce all wildlife conflict in the Niassa reserve.  They work with the local communities to provide solutions.  The are currently testing non-lethal methods to deter elephants.  In fact, They have a Mozambiquan, Mbambu Marufo, doing his masters on bee hive barriers.  Elephants are afraid of bees and try to avoid them at all costs.  This method of control has been used sucessfully in other parts of Africa, but no one has tried it here in Mozambique yet.  Mbambu used to be a park warden and has seen lethal control methods used and fail in the past on elephants, so he looks forward to testing this method and hopes it will provide a peace for both the animals and the people.

As we tuck in to sleep here in the Niassa Reserve, I listen as the elephants crash around in the bushes and vocalize loudly outside the tent.  I then hearmen from a nearby fisherman’s camp yelling, screaming and banging objects together to keep the elephants from coming in their direction.  I suddenly experience first hand the importance of Mbambu’s research.

Thatch shaded tent with elephants moving about in the brush

At the beginning of this year the Houston Zoo funded Mbambu Marufo to attend a human wildlife conflict training in Kenya.  He wanted me to thank everyone at the Zoo for making this possible for him.  The training has been invaluable for him and he uses it to protect species on a regular basis.

Young conservationist from Mbamba Village learning how to radio collar a lion

More to come from Niassa…

 

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Jul
27

Lions: With a name like Fabio…

Posted by in Africa,Carnivores,community-based conservation,Conservation,Field Research

He is bound for stardom.

Last week I was writing that people are drawn to stories and personalities and sometimes, those wildlife personalities take on a following all their own. So if I want to tell a story about wildlife, make you want to follow that species, then why not let you identify with an individual that you could have an emotional attachment to and in turn care more about and want to act on it’s behalf?

Fabio, and a full belly, walking the riverbed

This week, it has to be the lion Fabio in the Niassa National Reserve in northern Mozambique. This ~18 month old male seems to be turning up everywhere over the past few weeks with his family: Mom Flavia, Aunt Fatima and younger cousin Fantine in tow.

Mom Flavia, courtesy of Colleen Begg. This photo is available as a print on archival paper from the Houston Zoo in support of the Niassa Lion Project

I first met Fabio on my visit to the Niassa Lion Project in very early June as we followed his collar signal through the tall grass. He looked up at us, curious as to why the Land Rover had 5 odd humans in it and then went about his business. A few days later we met him once again but this time with his family and our first sighting of Fatima’s new cub Fantine (pronuounced Fon-teen) as well as an unidentified female.

Fabio showing off his profile photo

Fabio is not the leader of the pride, there is a territorial male in the area that this group is related to, but he does seem to be around every corner of this part of the Reserve whether it is wandering across a dry riverbed or more recently literally showing up outside the Niassa Lion Project camp.

Fabio just doing what he does best, being photogenic.

It is good to have him be such a visual part of the project and even better to hear that Fabio and his family are moving around the reserve doing what lions do. If you would like to learn how you can help the Niassa Lion Project you can link to http://www.houstonzoo.org/niassa-lions/ or www.niassalion.org or look for their Facebook Page. These animals make people care. Wildlife outside our doors do not have a chance if we do not care. It is just that simple.

Showing us how bored he is with all of us

We will continue updating you on Fabio as news and photos arrive. Just remember, now that you know Fabio, we need you to care about him and all the people and wildlife of Niassa National Reserve.

 

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Jun
20

The Trouble with Elephants

Posted by in Africa,community-based conservation,Conservation,Elephant,Endangered Species,Featured,Peter with lions in Mozambique,Travel

The trouble with Elephants is two-fold. First, they carry very expensive pieces of ivory around with them that are valued as trophies and ornamental carvings. Second, they invade peoples crops making it even more difficult for villagers to feed their families through the dry season. Both of these add up to the elephants in the region being very nervous and even sometimes aggressive in their interactions with people.

Three days ago, two of he Niassa Lion Project (NLP) staff went out to gear about a report of two elephants killed about 2-3 weeks ago near the village and they found carcasses with the tusks hacked off. Two days ago, there was a report of poachers in the next concession who killed 2 elephants.  Fortunately, an anti poaching unit was able to get to the scene thanks to a small aircraft in the area that spotted the actives and chased off the poachers while they were trying to bundle up the ivory. Unfortunately, no poachers were caught and two elephants were dead, but at least all the ivory was recovered.

This is playing out constantly across Africa and it is putting serious strains on elephant populations.  Persecuted elephants create dangerous situations where it is difficult to protect both the village people and the elephants. NLP will be looking at new models to approach human-wildlife conflict involving both elephants and lions in the future.

Update: We received a message that on June 15th that 3 elephant were shot in the night behind the NLP camp but by the time they were able to get out to the field with scouts, the poachers and ivory were gone. Nobody lives here except the ~10 NLP staff. The closest village – Mbamba Village – is an hour plus walk away and due to their fear of lions and elephants at night, it makes it all the more likely that these poaching syndicates are now reaching into areas from distant villages in the reserve.

 The photo below was not from a poached elephant but from a ~1 year old predated on by lions. The belief these days is the more adults that are being killed, leads to more orpahned elephants which are being taken by predators rather than being protected by the herd. The value of this ivory in the local village is very small – maybe $30USD but once into a larger city its value is around $400 and then internationally that price can double. These tusks were deposited with the National reserve which maintains a vault to keep confiscated and found ivory.

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May
02

Kids from Houston connecting with children in Mozambique in a “Lion Fun Day”

Posted by in Africa,Carnivores,community-based conservation,Conservation,Endangered Species

On Saturday and Sunday, November 5-6, 2011, come and join us at the Houston Zoo, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.  We’ll  be hosting Lion Fun Days at the same time as the events described in our blog post below will take place in Mozambique!! 

For Lion Fun Days at the Zoo, enjoy numerous keeper chats, craft stations, and games.  Items will be sold to raise money for the Niassa Carnivore Project.  Please plan on visiting the Zoo on the first weekend in November to learn about how you can help the African lion. 

My name is Angie Pyle, and I am a Carnivore keeper at the Houston Zoo.  My favorite animal is the African Lion.  Unfortunately African Lion populations are dropping at a devastating rate.  During the 1950’s there were an estimated 500,000 Lions in Africa.  Today they estimate 20-30,000 Lions in all of Africa. 

Dr. Begg and some local villagers

 
After hearing that one of the Houston Zoo’s fall lecture series speakers was going to be Dr. Colleen Begg (researcher and conservationist for African carnivores), I began to research the Niassa Carnivore Project.  The Niassa Carnivore Project has been working since 2003 exclusively in the Niassa Reserve.  Researchers have been tracking animals, vaccinating animals, educating the locals, and working with the locals on how to safely live with Lions.    One of the methods for community outreach and education that the project was involved with was “Lion fun days.”  The entire Niassa Carnivore project team got together and came up with activities, games, and puzzles for the children of Mbamba, Mozambique to take part in.  The idea is to teach the children about the importance of Carnivores in their ecosystem through fun and engaging activities.  The children painted animal masks, ran relay races, acted out plays,  just to name a few of the activities.  They also participated in a special eco-system tug of war. ”The majority of people in Niassa believe their lives would be better without lions, elephants and leopards. We wanted to spark some thoughts on what the consequences might be if these animals were all to disappear from Niassa. Would it matter if all the lions or elephants were gone? We divided the children into two teams for a ‘tug of war” using our tow rope with each child representing different elements of the ecosystem – lions, leopards, elephants, honey badgers, eagles, bees, trees, grass flowers, fish, sunlight, rain etc. One side was the reserve and the other an unprotected area. Initially the tug of war was equal but as more and more elements disappeared, some connected to each other resulting in a cascade of effects, the unprotected team started to fall apart while the Reserve team was still strong and pulling together. ” At the end of the day the children bring home solid conservation messages to their parents from these activities and crafts. 

We organized a “Lion fun day” here at the Houston Zoo on November 3rd – 4th and was a great success.  I thought it would be great to have Lion fun days at the Zoo in conjunction with Mozambique’s.  We could teach the same principles, and let American and Mozambique children know that children around the world are learning about their role in conservation. 
After discussing the idea with the Houston Zoo’s Conservation department, we set our sights even higher and decided to include the Velasquez Elementary School on the project.  Children from the Velasquez Elementary School raise money annually for cat conservation.  Last year the school donated $1,000 to the Houston Zoo’s conservation department for Small Cat conservation, focusing on Ocelots.  This year the school donated $1,000 to be given to the Niassa Carnivore Project.  As a reward for the classroom that raised the most money, we invited 18 kids from Velasquez to the Zoo on March 22, 2011. 

Kids coloring lion masks infront of lion exhibit

The children participated in a condensed version of Lion fun days, we tried to duplicate a few of the activities they do in Mozambique.  The children colored lion masks, played a special eco-system game of tug of war, made hand prints next to their take home Lion paw prints, and all the while learned about African Lions.  At the end of the activities the children got their class picture taken in front of our Lions at the training window.

Kids playing eco-system tug of war

Later on this fall when Colleen Begg visits the Zoo for her lecture, she will be taking some of the pictures and film we took of the Velasquez elementary children engaged in their Lion Fun day activities back with her to Mozambique.  The children in Mozambique will be delighted to see that kids in Houston are participating in the same activities as them.  We hope to create a partnership/connection between the Houston Zoo and the villages of Mozambique.  Maybe together we can make a difference in the future of Lions. 

By Angie Pyle

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Jan
25

Lion Conservation: Mozambique

Posted by in Africa,Carnivores,community-based conservation,Conservation,Featured,Field Research

The Niassa Lion Project in Mozambique was founded in 2003 by Dr. Colleen and Keith Begg. Their mission is to secure lions in the Niassa National Reserve by reducing human-induced threats and promoting co-existence between lions and people. Acknowledging the costs to communities who live with lions, the program recognizes the potential for lions to provide ecological, economic and cultural benefits to the Niassa National Reserve and Mozambique.

Niassa National Reserve is located in northern Mozambique on the border with Tanzania. It is one of the largest protected areas in Africa (42,000 km²) and is considered to be one of the “Last of the Wild” and most undeveloped places in Africa. Time is running out to sustainably conserve the Niassa lions, as well as the Reserve’s significant populations of leopard, spotted hyena and African wild dog.

The conservation of lions in particular touches on many of the major ecological and social challenges facing Niassa National Reserve at present. The Reserve is home to a growing human population of 30,000 residents in forty villages on the verge of modern development. The costs to communities living with lions and large carnivores are significant through the loss of life, livelihoods and livestock.

The Niassa Lion Project  views community participation as an essential element of long-term protection for the African lion and the many other imperiled species within its critical habitat. NLP is deeply engaged with local residents, the management authority of the Niassa National Reserve, schools, tourism operators, and the bordering nation of Tanzania in its spectrum of conservation, scientific, and educational activities.

A number of  the programs efforts include: education and outreach, wildlife research, Human-Lion conflict mitigation, community programming and international coordination of Lion conservation efforts across Africa.

For more information visit their website http://www.predatorconservation.com/niassa.htm 

Join them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Niassa-Lion-Project/151483654889759#!/pages/Niassa-Lion-Project/151483654889759?v=wall

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