The Third Key Objective of LION AID™

We need an African solution to African Wildlife Conservation. We need to deliver both facts about selected populations and to coordinate a government sanctioned conservation programme.

WHY:

a) Few African nations are making a considered involvement in wildlife research programmes conducted by their own scientists concerned with conservation of their own national resources.
b) Most African countries rely on foreign donors, universities and wildlife organisations to conduct and provide funds for research on wildlife.
c) Most research reports are shelved, catalogued and not acted upon.
d) Foreign graduate students aiming to achieve a degree from their universities conduct most research projects; most are short-term and have limited follow up and few are multidisciplinary. Consequently few are relevant to national needs.
e) African nations need to take greater scientific interest in conservation policies for their wildlife resources and donor organisations and foreign scientists need to design more relevant and durable programmes that actually deliver information of interest and consequence to animal range states.
f) African nations need to come to the table and clearly state where they want wildlife, whether the inevitable human conflict with such wildlife justifies its existence, whether they are willing to involve wildlife in an overall national economic framework and whether they actually value wildlife.
g) If African nations conclude that their wildlife resources are important to their economy and culture and national pride, then they need to make considered plans to conserve and even restore.   
               
HOW:

a) LION AID will designate African lion range states with either a population of lions crucial to the survival of the species and/or range states that have made concerted efforts to ensure lion population survival.
b) LION AID will assist multidisciplinary research teams to conduct projects in such areas, always in close collaboration with local authorities and scientists.
c) LION AID will aim to derive informed consensus plans for lion conservation.
d) LION AID will assist such teams in the long term, with an expected co-involvement of the government.
e) LION AID will encourage a local board of governors established for each project to ensure relevance.

WHEN:

a) LION AID will determine projects of greatest need by discussions with governments and dedicated scientists.