TANZANIA (Dec. 2, 2014)-A 10-year study in Tanzania offers strong scientific evidence for the effectiveness of Living Walls as predator deterrents, saving lions by reducing the need for human retaliation against the big cats. Homesteads using these environmentally friendly, predator-proof enclosures report a virtually 100 percent reduction in lion attacks on livestock. The research was published today in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation.
The study, conducted by Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld, Charles Trout and Elvis Kisimir, all of the African People & Wildlife Fund, reported areas that installed Living Walls - enclosures that combine fast-growing thorny trees as fence posts with chain link fencing - from 2008 onwards demonstrated a 99.9 percent success rate in preventing attacks on livestock, resulting in a halt to retaliatory lion killings. The number of lions killed dropped to zero immediately.
Top predators, including lions, are quickly disappearing in the wild, victims of conflict with humans, prey depletion, and habitat loss or degradation. A 2012 study published in Biodiversity and Conservation reported lion populations in Africa had dropped as low as 32,000, down nearly 90 percent in the last century.
We set out to show that by working with local, indigenous populations and modern resources, we could save lions, and that's exactly what we did, said Lichtenfeld, who co-directs the African People & Wildlife Fund with partner Trout. Co-author Kisimir, a Maasai from the town of Narakauwo, heads the organization's human-wildlife conflict prevention program. Lichtenfeld's work is also supported by the National Geographic Society's Big Cats Initiative (BCI).
Living Wall is a term coined by Lichtenfeld and her colleagues at the African People & Wildlife Fund. Traditional homesteads in this region, called bomas, are built with a main outer ring of fencing that encloses the family's houses and with a smaller, inner ring for keeping livestock. The Living Walls are constructed around the inner ring. They are assembled using living trees native to the area, called Commiphora africana, as fence posts, which is a Maasai innovation, and chain link fencing. As the thorny trees grow, the enclosures become an environmentally friendly, long-lasting physical and visual barrier to predators. During the study period, the researchers compared large-carnivore attack rates at 84 unprotected bomas with 62 bomas that were fortified with Living Walls.
At an average cost of $500 per Living Wall, with the owner contributing just 25 percent of the cost, the protection of livestock and the resulting benefit to lion populations become affordable for conservationists and accessible to community members.
Dr. Lichtenfeld and her team closely engage local communities to understand and solve the problems that lions cause them, said Dr. Stuart Pimm, professor of conservation ecology at the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University and a BCI advisory board member. The Living Walls save lions cheaply and effectively, providing global lessons for reducing wildlife conflict.
Living Walls also had an intriguing effect on lion behavior in the rest of the community. Unfortified bomas near those bomas fortified with Living Walls were attacked significantly less, with overall boma depredation rates declining by 90 percent. The study's authors suggest that this may indicate that attacks of livestock within bomas are a learned behavior and that the Living Walls break that behavior pattern, resulting in an overall reduction in local attacks.
This paper documents how the Living Walls project virtually eliminates lion predation of cattle, so local communities and the lion population simultaneously benefit, said National Geographic Fellow Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, professor of environmental science and policy at George Mason University, senior fellow at the UN Foundation and chair of BCI grants committee. It is a wonderful example of a thoughtful approach combined with simple technology.
The success of the African People & Wildlife Fund's Living Walls program is a beacon of hope for big cats and community conservationists around the world, said Dr. Luke Dollar, BCI program director. The Big Cats Initiative is committed to identifying and supporting field-based conservation measures that are effective, economical and results-driven, all of which describe Living Walls.
The Living Walls program continues to grow across northern Tanzania, reaching new communities through word of mouth from enthusiastic boma owners. More than 400 Living Walls have been installed to date by the African People & Wildlife Fund with support provided by BCI and other generous sponsors, protecting 80,000 head of livestock on a nightly basis, providing peace of mind for some 7,500 people and saving an estimated 80 lions annually from death by spears, guns and poisons.
To increase the number of reinforced bomas, the African People & Wildlife Fund accepts designated funds, and National Geographic's BCI launched Build a Boma, a peer-to-peer awareness and fundraising campaign that features the work of Lichtenfeld and others who are implementing similar projects in Africa.
About the African People & Wildlife Fund:
The African People & Wildlife Fund is a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and important natural habitats in Africa through a community-based approach. APW helps rural communities develop their skills and abilities to protect natural resources in a manner that maximizes their benefits from these landscapes while also preserving ecological integrity. Emphasizing the critical importance of community-led initiatives, the organization provides information, training and service level support to its constituencies to strengthen local institutions and community-dri
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
TANZANIA (Dec. 2, 2014)-A 10-year study in Tanzania offers strong scientific evidence for the effectiveness of Living Walls as predator deterrents, saving lions by reducing the need for human retaliation against the big cats. Homesteads using these environmentally friendly, predator-proof enclosures report a virtually 100 percent reduction in lion attacks on livestock. The research was published today in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation.
