Northwest Namibia supports a uniquely desert-adapted population of African lions living in extreme, livestock-sharing landscapes. As lion movements increasingly overlap with communal grazing areas, conflict with herders poses a direct risk to both livelihoods and lion survival.
To reduce this risk, an automated early warning system tracks lion movements and alerts farmers in real time. Satellite collars and communications software enable herders to corral livestock before lions arrive, reducing predation and retaliatory killings.
Natural Selection supports the Desert Lion Early Warning Mitigation System and Lion Ranger Programme, combining technology, field monitoring and rapid response to reduce human–wildlife conflict. In partnership with local communities, Desert Lion Rangers actively monitor 60 lions and made 151 emergency call-outs to farms during the most recent 11-month reporting period, warning livestock owners and helping communities respond before encounters escalate. The programme is delivered in partnership with Tosco, Desert Lion Conservation Project, Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) and local partners.
By linking real-time data with community action, these systems help reduce livestock losses and retaliatory killings, protecting desert-adapted lions while safeguarding rural livelihoods and helping people and lions continue sharing the landscape.
