THE AFRI-LEO FOUNDATION goals and objectives
Established in 1997 by Tammy and Uwe Hoth, this Foundation is based on a farm bordering the south-western section of the Etosha National Park.
Our Vision the protection and conservation of wild lion populations in Namibia, in co-operation with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism as well as other non-governmental organisations, in order to ensure the long term survival of the species.
Afri-Leo is committed to supporting:
Lion Research and Monitoring Projects: the Etosha Boundary Lion Project is aimed at monitoring cross-border lion movement and lion mortalities, assessing the potential disease threat to lions from outside of the Park and helping reduce and mitigate the farmer-lion conflict
Environmental Education and Awareness: youth of all ages are involved in this programme, where active participation encourages them to learn more about the Namibian lions, their role within the ecosystem and the problems facing lions due to loss of ideal habitat, disease and drought
Human-Predator Conflict Resolution: conflict situations arise when lions threaten livestock on communal and freehold [commercial] farms. Farming communities are understandably intolerant of lions in close proximity to their livestock herds and along the borders of the Etosha National Park, a number of lions are destroyed annually. Much support is needed to resolve these conflicts, which pose a threat to the long-term survival of the Namibian lion.
In 1996, the lion received protected species status within Namibia. By law, any lion destroyed, must be reported to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism within 10 days. At this point in time, this form of protection only serves to facilitate the monitoring of the number of lions killed annually.
Much needs to be done to conserve and protect Namibias valuable lion population. To ensure the long term survival of these large carnivores, the Afri-Leo Foundation is dedicated to finding solutions to the farmer-predator issues by:
promoting improved communication and assisting with fence repair, funding the construction of water holes where needed, assisting communities in developing ways of sustainably utilising this resource, thereby encouraging greater tolerance of lions outside of protected areas, as well as supporting on-going research and monitoring programmes