Utah's Hogle Zoo
Conserving the African Lion
- Current population in the wild: 35,000
- Population Status: Vulnerable
- Located in: Sub-Saharan Africa
- Animal Type: Mammal
The African Lion population has been declining for nearly 60 years. Habitat loss and prey scarcity (due to expanding urban areas) are two factors that have contributed to the species’ endangerment. Additionally, poaching (for illegal wildlife trade) and human-wildlife conflicts have caused population numbers to dwindle.
For several years, Utah’s Hogle Zoo has partnered with the Niassa Carnivore Project (NCP) in Mozambique to conserve the African lion. The NCP is a program run out of the Niassa National Reserve, an area that is home to an estimated 60,000 people across 40 villages.
For generations, Niassa locals have lived subsistence lifestyles of agriculture and fishing. With few economic opportunities, hunting wildlife for meat or trade has been a common practice.
To conserve the animals of Niassa, UHZ and NCP decided to design a conservation program that not only protected animals, but also educated and created opportunities for the local people. Utah’s Hogle Zoo provided the funds necessary to create alternative livelihood programs that are designed to generate income, increase food security, and encourage entrepreneurship.
To address food insecurity, UHZ and NCP work with the Farmer Field School to improve the productivity of Niassa’s historically poor soil. Additionally, Utah’s Hogle Zoo helped to piolet various fruit and vegetable growing techniques by providing funds for a solar water pump. Together with NCP, we are also working to enable villagers to keep bees and raise livestock.
Grupo Kushirika is a group that focuses on the creation of handmade crafts that Niassa locals can sell for income. This program centers on the development of new skills and the preservation of traditional skills for future generations. Members of Grupo Kushirika commit to abstain from wildlife snaring and other illegal activities. Utah’s Hogle Zoo supports this program by selling Kushirika items at fundraising auctions and in our gift shop. Items include embroidered cushion covers, bags, throws, baskets, flip-flops, animals, and jewelry.
The Mpopo trail camp, located on the Lungenda River, was created to generate sustainable employment and income for Mbamba villagers. At the trail camp, many aspects of NCP’s alternative livelihood programs come together. The project is staffed by local villagers, food is served from agricultural programs, and visitors are encouraged to purchase art made by Grupo Kushirika. In addition to supporting conservation indirectly through NCP programs, Mpopo trail camp also donates 20% of visitor booking fees towards conservation directly.
UHZ has been fortunate enough to lead multiple eco-tourism trips to Mpopo. There, participants were able to watch hippos wallowing in the river, catch Taita falcons hunting from the balcony, and enjoy a night under the brightest stars.
In 2006, NCP started the MOMS Community Wildlife Program, a group composed of wildlife “guardians”. These guardians were chosen to monitor hunting activities in the park, mitigate human-wildlife conflict, and survey species of interest. The program also spreads information, teaching villagers about conflict reduction, safe behaviors, and animal conservation. Today, there are 45 Wildlife Guardians across 90% of the Reserve.
In addition to guardians, NCP supports 108 anti-poaching scouts. These scouts work to protect lions across 16 prides. In 2017, Utah’s Hogle Zoo donated a lion-monitoring vehicle to their cause.
Currently, the NCP is working with four villages to monitor lions and other wildlife through remote cameras. This program allows communities to earn “points” for images of any species of interest that they collect on their cameras. Points can be converted into necessary goods for the community like maize, oil, and other food. As of May 2020, this program had distributed $15,000 USD and was working to double the number of villages it serves.
The Mariri Environmental Centere is a training center with three important facets: bush visits, skill development workshops, and conservation training. The center houses much of NCP’s community work, reaching more than 100 students and teachers each year! To support their wonderful work, Utah’s Hogle Zoo donated a selection of tablets to be used by students at the Centre.
The first Lion Fun Days Festival was held in Mbamba Village in 2009. Since then, the two-day festival in November has become an annual tradition. Lion Fun Days aims to spread important messages about conservation, wildlife safety practices, and the significance of all animals. Education staff at UHZ have implemented this information into fun festival activities and crafts for children and adults.
In Niassa, very few children attend secondary school (with most dropping out between the ages of 9 and 11). To remedy this, the NCP started their Lion Scholarship Program in 2013 with just three students from Mbamba Village. In 2022, all three lion scholars had graduated secondary school and gone on to pursue further education and employment. Today, the Lion Scholarship Program has grown to reach more than 70 students in 10 different villages. Utah’s Hogle Zoo is a proud supporter of this program and the scholars it funds.