Lions have lost 90% of their former range and today fewer than 19,000 individuals remain in the wild in Africa. Moreangels and her NGO Wildlife Conservation Action (WCA) are combining scientific research with community-led solutions to foster human-lion coexistence and protect both livelihoods and wildlife in Zimbabwe’s lower Zambezi Valley.

CONFLICT HOTSPOT

As a key stronghold, Zimbabwe is one of the few lion range states in Africa where large areas of land are protected and still have viable lion populations. In northern Zimbabwe, along the border with Mozambique and near Mana Pools National Park, the communal lands of Mbire District are one of the country’s most severe lion-human conflict hotspots. With the overlap of human settlement, agriculture and wildlife in this remote location, local communities face frequent threats to both their lives and livelihoods. Yet, lions play an important role in preserving cultural heritage and can benefit communities through attracting conservation and tourism revenue. As a keystone species, they play a critical role in maintaining healthy ecosystems that are more resilient to climate stress and better able to support biodiversity.

PROACTIVE PREVENTION

Habitat loss and fragmentation coupled with human-wildlife conflict are some of the major threats facing lions. When this apex predator attacks livestock such as cattle and goats, it can have devastating effects on livelihoods and food security which can prompt retaliatory killings. Already working across 2.6 million hectares, Moreangels and WCA’s community-centred, data-driven, and prevention-focused model has reduced local conflict incidents by as much as 98% in some areas. The team are proving coexistence is possible through the successful deployment of conflict mitigation measures, including hundreds of predator-proof enclosures, reinforcing existing dwellings for livestock, and lion lights. With safer passages for lions between protected areas, Moreangels and team are targeting a long-term increase in the lion population, by about 10% to 660 individuals.

COMMUNITY GUARDIANS

Moreangels and her team will expand into three more lion conflict hotspots, on top of the 15 wards where they currently work, and recruit and train six additional Community Guardians to monitor lion movement, report conflict incidents, and track the tailored strategies offered to victims. They also engage with community members, raising awareness and uptake of mitigation strategies. Through prioritising risk reduction, strengthening livestock protection systems, building rapid-response capacity, and using real-time data, the team are working to anticipate and prevent conflict before it occurs. Communities are protecting their own futures whilst also safeguarding the futures of lions.

With the Whitley Award, moreangels and her team will:

• Train and equip six Community Guardians to reduce and respond to human-wildlife conflict
• Improve decision making by creating a database of wildlife movement and human-wildlife conflicts using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART)
• Reduce human-carnivore conflict by distributing predator-proof mobile enclosures and lion lights to deter livestock attacks, as well as awareness campaigns

“Coexistence is not a one-time intervention; it depends on sustained commitment, consistent engagement, and continued local ownership.”