Lion and Cheetah Conservation

Support lion & cheetah conservation

Lion and cheetah populations have decreased by more than 40% in just the last 20 years due to loss of habitat and prey as well as conflict with humans.

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Lion and cheetah are the majestic symbols of wild Africa, but populations are in dramatic decline due to loss of habitat and conflict with humans. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo was an early funder of Dr. Amy Dickman's Ruaha Carnivore Project in Tanzania, which has reduced lion killing by 80%.

The challenge

Lion and cheetah populations have decreased by more than 40% in just the last 20 years due to loss of habitat and prey as well as conflict with humans. Unless a major conservation effort is mounted to save them, the populations are likely to halve again in the next two decades.

What we're doing

The Ruaha Carnivore Project (RCP) develops effective conservation strategies for large carnivore in Tanzania's remote Ruaha landscape, a globally important region for carnivore conservation. RCP reduced lion killing in the region by 80% by engaging local communities, using GPS collars and camera traps to study carnivore populations, and making benefits like livestock guarding dogs, school fees and meals, and health care available to local communities.

RCP and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Future for Willdlife program work together to protect lion and cheetah by:

• Studying and monitoring large carnivores (lion, hyena, leopard, painted dog, cheetah) in and around Ruaha National Park to inform conservation efforts
• Addressing human-carnivore conflicts to help local communities and carnivores coexist
• Making important conservation-related benefits available to local communities

How you can help

Join our efforts to help secure a future for lion and cheetah and to support conservation-related efforts to local communities.

Make a donation toward lion and cheetah conservation at the top of this page.

Dr. Amy Dickman of the Ruaha Carnivore Project with members of the Barabaig tribe in Ruaha

Blog: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's efforts in African carnivore conservation have led to some solid wins for lions, but a lot of work remains ahead.

Video: Watch our Conservation Chat with Dr. Amy Dickman of the Ruaha Carnivore Project.

Conservation in Action:
RCP provides farmers with special livestock guarding dogs to discourage predators.

Along with programs designed to monitor lions near village communities and support reinforced corrals for livestock, the guarding dogs have helped decrease attacks on livestock by 95%. Lion killing in the area has decreased by more than 80%.

Select photos courtesy of the Ruaha Carnivore Project