To ensure the success of this ambitious eight-day undertaking, each participating organization was assigned an expert local tracker, who’s expertise included in-depth knowledge of the region, and intricate knowledge of lion movement patterns and behaviour. Each of the several teams took a different route each day, surveying roads for wildlife tracks (spoors) to ensure the greatest possible coverage of the large geographical area. The combination of resources, expertise, and fieldwork efforts of our organisations effectively maximized the project’s impact while increasing the likelihood of capturing accurate and representative data for the whole region.
The use of technology is a great asset to modern methodologies in research and conservation. The teams had at their disposal high-resolution cameras allowing them to capture detailed facial imagery of the individuals they encountered. This additional data collection component aims to support individual identification through unique whisker spots to facilitate population estimation using capture/recapture methodologies; helping to contribute to the broader understanding of lion demographics and dynamics in the region.
The findings of the survey are expected to contribute to evidence-based conservation strategies in Botswana, and possibly beyond our borders. The work done also emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts in harnessing opportunities to address wildlife conservation challenges.