Through the Big Cats Initiative (BCI), donors support a portfolio of grantees. BCI doesn’t just fund established players; it also supports emerging local organisations and innovators who might otherwise lack access to donors. This initiative, spearheaded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, helps grow the next generation of conservation leaders. BCI has powerful communications channels to raise awareness and showcase donor impact at a global scale. A donor’s contribution resonates far beyond the field site. Field organisations often work in isolation. BCI creates connections between them, fostering collaboration, shared learning, and scaling of best practices.
World Awareness Days are significant opportunities to highlight critical conservation issues. In August, World Lion Day drew attention to the challenges and the progress being made to protect Africa’s lions. Through the Big Cats Initiative (BCI), the Great Plains Foundation can propel community-driven conservation and human-wildlife coexistence efforts across the continent.
Updates from some of our Big Cats Initiative grantee partners working on the front lines of lion conservation:
Senegal
In Niokolo-Koba National Park, one of the last strongholds for West African lions, BCI Funding has helped to equip rangers with training in carnivore survey techniques, DNA scat analysis, and solar-powered camera traps. This investment is strengthening local capacity and improving monitoring of critically endangered lions.
“Perhaps the most meaningful success has been seeing local capacity grow year after year: rangers are now independently carrying out surveys, collecting valuable data on big cats, and directly contributing to conservation decisions in the park.” – Hans de Iongh, Stichting Leeuw’s Project Manager.
With the introduction of Lion Lights in 2026, communities will have new tools to reduce livestock losses and conflict with predators.
Botswana
CLAWS Conservancy focuses on reducing conflict between people and lions in northern Botswana. Their Communal Herding Program, which includes predator-proof mobile bomas and a Lion Alert System, has prevented livestock losses for three years. As a result, the system has prevented livestock losses for three years, while farmers have the potential to earn premiums through Africa’s first sale of certified ‘Wildlife Friendly Beef’, and the Lion Alert System, developed in collaboration with the University of Siegen, sends real-time warnings to farmers when collared lions are approaching.
“We have not had a single livestock lost to lions in three years in our Communal Herding Program, and those farmers participating receive a premium price for their certified Wildlife Friendly Beef if they pledge not to kill lions.” – Dr. Andrew Stein, CLAWS Conservancy.
Kenya
In Laikipia, C4 (Coexistence for Cats, Cattle, Communities) blends ecological research with practical tools to promote coexistence. Lion collars and solar-powered ear tags on livestock reduce conflict, while community members receive smartphones to track herds and gather data.
“One of the most direct conservation successes from the project so far has been seeing data from lion collars and livestock ear tags used to inform herding practices to prevent human–lion conflicts before they occur…Our livestock ear tags, critical for all C4’s work on lion-livestock-human interactions, have also been used to find lost herds and inform grazing plans.” – Lucrecia Aguilar, C4.
Beyond technology, C4 invests in young Kenyan conservationists, ensuring this work continues through local leadership.
Tanzania
WASIMA (People, Lions, and Environment) is a locally led NGO reducing human–lion conflict in western Tanzania. In 2024 alone, they completed 54 lion-proof bomas, protecting over 2,400 livestock worth more than USD 514,000. Community-led action has dramatically reduced retaliatory lion killings in hotspot areas.
“One of the most significant successes has been the substantial decline in retaliatory lion killings… That change, especially in hotspot villages, has made a real impact on both lion survival and community safety.” – Jonathan Kwiyega, WASIMA.
Uganda
In 2022, there were only 15 known lions remaining in Kidepo National Park. Thanks to the hard work of Uganda Conservation Foundation and the Uganda Wildlife Authority, lions in Kidepo are showing signs of recovery. With support from BCI, UCF has strengthened monitoring and reduced losses to poaching.
“The collapse of the lion population was rapid and heartbreaking… however, the response – as tiny as we are – has resulted in no lions being lost for over a year.” — Michael Keigwin, Founding Trustee of Uganda Conservation Foundation.
By employing and training local scouts, UCF ensures conservation benefits flow directly to communities while creating new pathways for education and employment.
Botswana
In the Southern Okavango, CONNECT monitors lion populations and studies the balance between prey, predators, and people. Their work emphasises the ecological importance of lions as apex predators.
“Lions are keystone species. Their presence influences how animals use the land, creating richer, more diverse habitats. If lions are doing well, it often means the ecosystem beneath them is thriving too.” — CONNECT.
Lion Conservation: Looking Ahead
From Senegal to Uganda, Tanzania to Botswana and Kenya, the Big Cats Initiative partners demonstrate that lion conservation succeeds when science, technology, and community leadership work together.
These remarkable lion conservation efforts are endearing. Although challenges remain, progress is achievable, and partnerships are essential to securing a future where both people and lions coexist.
