BACKGROUND
Lions probably speak more directly to people than any other wild species. Through art, through literature, through symbolism and heraldry, through representations on flags and national emblems, lions have a universality that appeals regardless of culture, race, and national origin. Lions represent such a strong image to the world that words cannot but fail to express the true level of their iconic impact.
Lions represent hope and future, courage and strength, royalty and power. But they are also so very fragile and needing of our protection. We have all failed in the past to protect lions and to do what we innovatively could have done years ago. Lions are now an endangered species, and we have watched the decline from the sidelines for far too long.
It is now up to us to have the courage, fortitude, and strength to protect and conserve a species globally representative of the freedom and importance of wild animals. It can be done, but not without your dedicated support.
LionAid, together with an Ethiopian NGO (Alchemy World Projects) has the opportunity to engage with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority and Provincial Authorities to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive lion conservation programme.
HEADING THE LIONAID TEAM
LionAid, a charity dedicated to lions and new visions for their conservation in the future, is spearheaded by Dr Pieter Kat and Christine Macsween:
Dr Pieter Kat is an internationally acknowledged expert on lions and is regularly consulted by African governments on lion conservation issues. Pieter was born in Singapore (the Lion City) and spent his early life in Singapore, Malaysia and New Guinea where his interest in biology took root. His tertiary education took place in the USA where he gained a BSc at the University of Rochester (Biology and Geology), an MSc in Marine Biology at the University of Delaware and an MA and PhD in Ecology and Evolution at Johns Hopkins University.
Next he spent ten years working at the National Museums of Kenya to develop and enhance biological research programmes, including studies of biodiversity in the African Great Lakes, genetic diversity among bovid species (eg antelopes) of East Africa, genetics and ecology of predators of the Masai Mara and other areas (African Wild Dogs, Lions, African Wild Cats, Servals and Jackals), and diseases likely to affect predators across Kenya.
This was followed by two years at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, USA researching rabies virus genetics, African horse sickness, canine distemper, Rift Valley Fever and bluetongue virus amongst carnivores.
Pieter was then invited by the Government of Botswana to study lion populations and to make recommendations for their conservation, and established the Okavango Lion Conservation Programme in northern Botswana. The lion research focused on ecology, reproduction, disease prevalence and human/wildlife conflict. After twelve years in Botswana, he is now focused on a diversity of activities through the charity LionAid to assist the conservation of lions such as working with decision makers in the UK, EU and African lion range states to ensure better protection of remaining lions, seeking sustainable means of reducing lion/livestock conflict, encouraging further research on diseases threatening lions and calling for lion population surveys.
Pieter continues to play an important role in scientific research and has authored more than 70 scientific papers to date. He regularly works with media (Radio, television and newspapers) sharing his deep knowledge of Lions.
Christine Macsween is an integral and highly respected figure within lion conservation, whose diligent lobbying has resulted in ongoing, proactive, political, discussions addressing the plight of the species.
Her passion and wealth of knowledge regarding the Lion, is evident through her many media interviews, both nationally and internationally, making her a highly sought after contributor to the cause.
Chris obtained her BA in Manchester in 1979. In 1998 she was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (CIMA). She served on the CIMA Council between 2002 and 2006. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. For the last ten years, Chris has been applauded as an engaging and educated public speaker, who has held court in large conservation events in the United Kingdom, the EU and beyond.
Chris also works with Dr Kat delivering higher education presentations and lectures. In addition to this, LionAid run regular skype lessons bringing lions into classrooms across the globe.
HEADING THE ALCHEMY WORLD TEAM
Carlo Tortora Brayda launched Alchemy World in 2006, a humanitarian aid agency based in East Africa focusing on delivering poverty alleviation and economic growth through private sector development and entrepreneurship. During this time he was Trade and Industry Advisor to the Ethiopian Government and its President. He also took assignments for the United Nations International Labour Organization, and the United Nations International Childrens Fund (UNICEF). He remains Non Executive Chairman of Alchemy World, and heavily engaged in Corporate Social Responsibility.
HIH Prince Joel David Makonnen Haile Selassie is the great-grandson of His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and 5th in the line of succession to the Imperial throne. His lineal ancestors are said to trace far back three millennia into Biblical history; all the way back to King Solomon "the Wise", son and successor to King David of ancient Israel. He is a Director of Alchemy World Projects and a Brand Ambassador for this campaign.
WHY DO ETHIOPIAN LIONS MATTER SO MUCH?
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Both teams are increasingly concerned that lions are silently sliding into extinction pan Africa and feel strongly that the next country to lose its wild lion population could well be Ethiopia – whose lions are genetically unique but not yet internationally recognised as a fourth sub species of lion (a scientific paper written in 2011 and published in 2013 detailing the genetics of these lions can be accessed here), and with tremendous cultural and historical value in Ethiopia. Such a loss, and maybe only five years away would be nationally and internationally mourned and we must do everything we can to prevent this catastrophe from becoming a reality.
THE PROJECT IN DETAIL
It is clear that an URGENT programme is needed to assess the numbers of surviving populations of lions in Ethiopia, to stabilise their populations and secure their habitats and to eventually allow future population increases.
LionAid, together with Alchemy World Projects has the opportunity to engage with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority and Provincial Authorities to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive lion conservation programme.
The funding we have called for in this campaign will allow us to do the following:
- Identify and support an Ethiopian PhD student who will eventually assume local supervision and implementation of the project.
- Conduct a full lion count in accessible regions of Ethiopia with reliable and replicable methods, concentrating initially on Awash National Park.
- Place telemetry collars on selected lions to allow monitoring.
- Establish continuous monitoring of lion trends, habitat quality, other carnivores and prey base throughout the lion range.
- Research on lion ecology and relationship with local communities.
- Create a database on human-lion conflict in the study area.
- Research illegal trade in lion and lion products.
- Establish a genetic and disease database for Ethiopian lions to identify populations of special concern and conservation priority – including establishing a central dedicated cryopreservation facility to allow long term storage of a diversity of wildlife samples.
Each of these goals could be achieved in isolation if we don’t raise the funding we need and in which case we will prioritise the goals in line with the monies donated to support the project. But obviously, the more money we can raise, the quicker we can achieve all the above and move the project to the next stage - to establish, with the full support of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, a comprehensive lion conservation programme.
RISKS
Ethiopia borders a number of unstable countries to the south (Somalia), to the west (South Sudan) and to the north (Eritrea). While there are reportedly lion populations along those border areas, this project will focus initially on lion populations with a high probability of immediate survival - those located in the centre of Ethiopia - Awash National Park. Another potentially problematic situation is the current structure of wildlife conservation authorities which is split between the federal government and the various autonomous provinces. However these different authorities have in the past worked well together to ensure survival of Ethiopia's endangered wildlife regardless of location of that wildlife. There is a huge willingness on the part of the federal Government to ensure that Ethiopia's national wildlife heritage is safeguarded for future generations - the Ethiopian people have a strong cultural connection to lions.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Every single donation is valuable and will help us achieve each of the goals listed in the project details. It is now up to us to have the courage, fortitude, and strength to find the means to protect and conserve a species globally representative of the freedom and importance of wild animals. It can be done, but not without your dedicated support.
Your support can come in other ways too! Please share this campaign appeal with all your friends and family. Use the share tools that Indiegogo provides to spread the word to as many people around the world as possible. Together we can win for lions and save Ethiopia's unique lion heritage.
