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Niassa Lion Project

About | Solutions | Impact | Donate | Stories

Niassa is one of the last great wild places on Earth.

Niassa Special Reserve in Mozambique is one of the important remaining strongholds for the African lion, with its dramatic landscapes and wildlife populations remaining largely untouched.
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Niassa is one of the important remaining strongholds for the African lion.

A growing human population of 60,000 in Niassa that needs food and income poses challenges to the reserve’s 800 lions. With few opportunities for education and employment, many families rely on the use of natural resources—particularly fish, skins, ivory, and bushmeat—to support their subsistence lifestyles. The greatest threat to lions in Niassa comes from snares that are set to capture bushmeat and a growing trade in lion skins, claws, and teeth.

Niassa Lion Project (NLP), which combines scientific rigor with passion, empathy and sound management practices, is as much about people as it is about lions. The team aims to build a sustainable lion-friendly community by working closely with community members, government officials, reserve management team, and tourism operators. They consider everyone a participant in conservation.

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NLP is finding ways for people to live safely with lions.

This video, Niassa Dreams, shows how NLP is helping to engage children and their communities through sports; increasing human well being and conservation to protect the Niassa Reserve.
Niassa Lion Project (Colleen Begg)
Hungry people cannot care about conservation.
Dr. Colleen Begg

Dr. Colleen and Keith Begg, Co-Founders and Managing Directors

Keith and Colleen Begg met next to an elephant carcass in South Africa’s Kruger National Park more than twenty years ago and have been studying and protecting carnivores together ever since. Their first great love was the honey badger.

In 2002, Keith and Colleen set out across Africa on a 21,000 mile trek to find a place where they could make a real contribution to wildlife. When they arrived in Mozambique’s Niassa National Reserve, a place they had never heard of, they found their home. They climbed one of the mountains and sat there for days, seeing signs of both the abundance of and looming challenges for the Reserve’s wildlife.

Keith and Colleen established Niassa Lion Project in 2003, and employ only local Mozambicans. They live in Niassa National Reserve for most of the year with their two children.

Conservation Solutions

Icon Tackling Wildlife Crime
Icon Reducing Conflict
Icon Scientific Research
Icon Expanding Education
Icon Empowering Women
Icon Boosting Local Economies
Icon Guiding Policy
Icon Honoring Culture

Reducing Snaring, Mining and Poaching

NLP’s anti-poaching program aims to reduce the illegal activities of snaring, mining, and elephant poaching in the Niassa Special Reserve. NLP strongly believes that reducing illegal wildlife activities can only be achieved through a holistic approach. Well-disciplined anti-poaching is performed in equal partnership with long-term community development and education programs that increase income and food security.

Wildlife Guardians Program

NLP’s Wildlife Guardians are committed to promoting coexistence in villages that share space with wildlife. The Guardians collect information on fishing activities, human-wildlife conflict, and species sightings, while also educating their communities to reduce threats. The Guardians are all in frequent mobile communication to create a community of conservationists that report on conflict quickly.

Wildlife Guardian Program

NLP’s research and monitoring efforts are specifically intended to inform their conservation efforts, as they consistently adapt approaches in response to new scientific data. NLP establishes baseline information about lion populations to monitor population trends over time, along with socio-ecological surveys to collect data about human behaviors and threats from carnivores.

Desert lion running

Mariri Environmental Center

NLP’s Mariri Environmental Center hosts children and their teachers from across Niassa Reserve to play conservation games, climb mountains, go on game drives, debate conservation issues, and learn about alternative livelihoods like gardening, livestock breeding, and beekeeping. NLP also provides secondary school scholarships for children in remote villages that only have access to primary school.

Kushirika Crafts

Kushirika, which means “to come together,” is a handmade crafts program focused on the development of new skills and ensuring that traditional skills, such as basket weaving, are passed down to younger generations. Participants, including both men and women, have rules for joining the group, including no snaring or illegal activities. All income generated from their sale goes directly to the producers.

Conservation Agriculture & Ecotourism

Slash and burn agriculture is common in Niassa National Reserve, leading to low soil fertility. NLP works with farmers to improve soil productivity through their farmer field school, teaching techniques like low tillage, crop mixing, and mulching. Improving food security is essential for conservation to be successful, so NLP also leads beekeeping, small livestock breeding, and craft making programs.

Ministry of Tourism Sport Hunting Reduction

The decision to allow sport hunting in Niassa Reserve rests with the Mozambican Ministry of Tourism. Sport hunting of underage leopards and lions can be a threat to wildlife populations, so NLP helps to ensure sport hunting is sustainable. To do so, NLP developed a monitoring and quota-setting system, offering incentives for compliance and disincentives for violations, which was implemented by the Niassa Management Authority.

Lion Fun Days

Each year, NLP celebrates culture and conservation at their annual Lion Fun Days. In addition to playing games, school children put on theatrical performances and local dance groups develop special dances to share conservation lessons while honoring local culture and tradition. These festivals spread positive messages about safe behaviors, safe shelters, and the importance of wildlife.

Icon Tackling Wildlife Crime

Reducing Snaring, Mining and Poaching

NLP’s anti-poaching program aims to reduce the illegal activities of snaring, mining, and elephant poaching in the Niassa Special Reserve. NLP strongly believes that reducing illegal wildlife activities can only be achieved through a holistic approach. Well-disciplined anti-poaching is performed in equal partnership with long-term community development and education programs that increase income and food security.

Icon Reducing Conflict

Wildlife Guardians Program

NLP’s Wildlife Guardians are committed to promoting coexistence in villages that share space with wildlife. The Guardians collect information on fishing activities, human-wildlife conflict, and species sightings, while also educating their communities to reduce threats. The Guardians are all in frequent mobile communication to create a community of conservationists that report on conflict quickly.

Icon Scientific Research

Wildlife Guardian Program

NLP’s research and monitoring efforts are specifically intended to inform their conservation efforts, as they consistently adapt approaches in response to new scientific data. NLP establishes baseline information about lion populations to monitor population trends over time, along with socio-ecological surveys to collect data about human behaviors and threats from carnivores.

Icon Expanding Education

Mariri Environmental Center

NLP’s Mariri Environmental Center hosts children and their teachers from across Niassa Reserve to play conservation games, climb mountains, go on game drives, debate conservation issues, and learn about alternative livelihoods like gardening, livestock breeding, and beekeeping. NLP also provides secondary school scholarships for children in remote villages that only have access to primary school.

Icon Empowering Women

Kushirika Crafts

Kushirika, which means “to come together,” is a handmade crafts program focused on the development of new skills and ensuring that traditional skills, such as basket weaving, are passed down to younger generations. Participants, including both men and women, have rules for joining the group, including no snaring or illegal activities. All income generated from their sale goes directly to the producers.

Icon Boosting Local Economies

Conservation Agriculture & Ecotourism

Slash and burn agriculture is common in Niassa National Reserve, leading to low soil fertility. NLP works with farmers to improve soil productivity through their farmer field school, teaching techniques like low tillage, crop mixing, and mulching. Improving food security is essential for conservation to be successful, so NLP also leads beekeeping, small livestock breeding, and craft making programs.

Icon Guiding Policy

Ministry of Tourism Sport Hunting Reduction

The decision to allow sport hunting in Niassa Reserve rests with the Mozambican Ministry of Tourism. Sport hunting of underage leopards and lions can be a threat to wildlife populations, so NLP helps to ensure sport hunting is sustainable. To do so, NLP developed a monitoring and quota-setting system, offering incentives for compliance and disincentives for violations, which was implemented by the Niassa Management Authority.

Icon Honoring Culture

Lion Fun Days

Each year, NLP celebrates culture and conservation at their annual Lion Fun Days. In addition to playing games, school children put on theatrical performances and local dance groups develop special dances to share conservation lessons while honoring local culture and tradition. These festivals spread positive messages about safe behaviors, safe shelters, and the importance of wildlife.

Impact by the Numbers

80% Fill 1 Created with Sketch.

of villages inside Niassa Reserve have NLP's wildlife guardians monitoring lions and acting as the direct link between conservation programs and communities

341 Fill 1 Created with Sketch.

local people directly employed by Niassa Lion Project: 103 permanent staff, 200 seasonal staff, and 38 wildlife guardians receiving stipends

3,000 Fill 1 Created with Sketch.

sightings of wildlife recorded by NLP with 7 new lions collared and 35 individual lions tracked in 2020

200

domestic dogs vaccinated against rabies and canine distemper across 23 villages with Niassa Reserve

500+ Fill 1 Created with Sketch.

children and adults connected to wildlife through education programs and the annual Lion Fun Day event.

$60 pays for a four night bush visit to Mariri Environmental Center for a local child or month’s worth of food for a scout.

$2,400 pays a scout’s salary for one year.

$4,000 will buy a radio collar to keep track of lions near villages.

Donations of any amount can help support training courses at the Mariri Environmental Education and Skills Training Center .

Watch Dr. Colleen Begg talk at Expo

Dr. Colleen Begg, Agostinho Jorge, and Andrew Mkanage of Niassa Lion Project share how they are helping both lions and communities thrive in Niassa National Reserve, one of the world’s last remaining great wilderness areas.

News & Stories

Learning to Value the Lives of Lions

Learning to Value the Lives of Lions

In both size and attributes, Mozambique’s Niassa Special Reserve is one of the greatest wild places in Africa. Inside its... Learn More
A New and Dangerous Threat: Lion Poaching in Niassa

A New and Dangerous Threat: Lion Poaching in Niassa

In Niassa, and throughout central and southern Africa, the illegal trade in lion body parts is growing like a cancer.... Learn More
Saluting Rangers Worldwide on World Ranger Day

Saluting Rangers Worldwide on World Ranger Day

Rangers, forest guards, warriors, scouts, field enforcement officers—the titles they serve under are many, but these brave women and men... Learn More
4 Ways Helping People is Saving Rare Wildlife

4 Ways Helping People is Saving Rare Wildlife

This article, originally posted on news.nationalgeographic.com, features five WCN Conservation Partners who work with people to save wildlife. Learn More
It Takes a Village to Save Lions

It Takes a Village to Save Lions

In Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve, the fate of lions is profoundly linked to the lives of the local people. That’s why... Learn More
Hungry People Cannot Care About Conservation: The First Beehive Fence in Niassa

Hungry People Cannot Care About Conservation: The First Beehive Fence in Niassa

Why would anyone want to build a fence filled with bees? Beehive fences, pioneered by WCN’s Save The Elephants (STE) project in... Learn More
Lion Fun Days Create a Culture of Conservation

Lion Fun Days Create a Culture of Conservation

More than 350 children recently congregated around Mbamba Village in Mozambique’s Niassa National Reserve to celebrate lions. The occasion was... Learn More
Lions are the most sought-after animals drawing people to Africa, protect them

Lions are the most sought-after animals drawing people to Africa, protect them

Africa's lions are in trouble. In an interview with WCN's Director for Conservation Initiatives, Dr. Peter Lindsey spoke to The... Learn More
Niassa Lion Project Gets a Plane

Niassa Lion Project Gets a Plane

Niassa National Park in Mozambique is one of the most remote places on earth and is often referred to as... Learn More
World Environment Day 2018

World Environment Day 2018

Today—on World Environment Day—we'd like to highlight some of the actions our Conservation Partners are taking to help create a... Learn More
Photography Credits: Jon McCormack, Susan McConnell, Jack Swenson, Zambian Carnivore Program
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