Namibia collars 25 lions to protect livestock and farmers

WINDHOEK,

The Namibian Lion Trust on Monday said it is busy with an initiative to collar lions to curb farmer-lion conflict.

According to the Namibia Lion Trust director Tammy Hoth-Hansen, farmer-lion conflict has reached its peak in conservancies and farmers are distraught.

"The Namibian Lion Trust has identified three groups of lions causing consternation amongst farmers in the Kunene region. The lions move from designated protected areas within the conservancies, where their natural prey numbers have dropped due to eight consecutive dry years, into conservancy settlement and grazing areas," she said.

She said the trust will monitor the movement of select lions by fitting GPS-Satellite and Early-Warning collars, sending alerts to affected farmers should the lions be close.

She added that the Namibian Trust Livestock Protection Programme encourages farmers to herd their animals during the day and protect them in lion proof kraal at night.

The trust has so far collared about 25 lions and is working on collaring 8 more. (Xinhua)