Living With Wildlife

Meet the Lion Defenders protecting both communities and wildlife in the hinterland between where protected wilderness ends and human habitation begins.

The darkness of pre-dawn transitions into the clarity of daybreak as a dusky pink sky hangs over the bush surrounding a small village in Southern Tanzania. A solitary figure stands quietly surveying the terrain, and in the shadow of a large tree, he crouches by a dusty track to examine a single spoor among the wind-blown leaves and animal tracks, before mentally mapping what might have happened under the cover of night.

He’s a Lion Defender, and it’s his job to know whether a predator has passed through the area and if it’s a threat to local livestock. His name is Darem Philipo (pictured below) and he’s no stranger to tracking the movement of lions. He once killed one as a young Barabaig warrior in a show of strength and virility, part of an ancient tradition among the males of his village. He’s not proud of it now and talks softly, almost bashfully, about his time as a wildlife poacher.

Aged 17, he drove his spear into a lion for prestige; it was a way of life. Wildlife was regarded as nothing more than a commodity as he crept into the National Park to kill elephants and buffalos, while also leading lion hunts. His attitude changed in 2012 when he joined a new Lion Defenders programme run by the Ruaha Carnivore Project (now called Lion Landscapes).

It was known that traditional killing was having a substantial impact around Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, where dozens of lions were being killed in a single year. Warriors claiming the first spear would receive gifts of cattle from the community, which was a way to build status. To address the situation, Lion Landscapes developed a programme that gave young men like Darem, the opportunity to fulfil a traditional warrior role, while receiving financial benefits. Now, instead of killing wildlife, they are its protectors in a true poacher-turned-gamekeeper role reversal.

Darem’s day starts at 6 am as he heads out into the bush before the pastoralists take their cattle out to graze. Typically, he’ll be looking for tracks, but also has wider intelligence to work from. Lions are often picked up on camera traps placed in the bush that surrounds the villages, and some animals have been collared. The data is collected and analysed, allowing predictions to be made as to where conflict might possibly occur.

If there are any signs of lions in the area, Darem warns the community and, if necessary, physically ushers the predators away. Any lion sighting around the village quickly goes ‘viral’, and even in this remote rural village a flurry of texts from mobile phone to mobile phone quickly spreads the word as Darem rushes to the sighting to ensure the safety of both humans and lion.

After his morning patrol is complete, he will head back into the village to help reinforce the livestock enclosures, known as bomas. Research by Lion Landscapes showed that 65% of carnivore attacks occurred within poorly protected livestock enclosures, so fortifying these traditional thornbush corrals offers essential support to the pastoralists. If any livestock has become separated from its herd, Darem will also head out in search of the strays, rounding them up and making sure they’re returned to the right farmer.

Darem’s pride in his work is evident, he says that while people will still kill lions, he feels better knowing his effort helps prevent this. He doesn’t want to see carnivores disappear and now feels a connection with them.

His face, etched with the lines of experience, is animated as he recounts his journey as a protector of the wild. As he weaves tales of lions saved, one incident stands tall in his memory. Late one night he heard that a cow had been predated and there was a plan to poison the carcass and wreak deadly revenge on the offending lions. Heading out on foot, he spotted the lethal trap, and could see five lions hungrily circling. As he chased them off for their own safety, he felt a profound purpose in his role, protecting both lions and people.

His story is echoed by another Lion Defender, John Matiasi. A slim and athletic-looking Tanzanian, John used to spend his days sleeping, and his nights hunting elephants in the National Park. Now, like Daren, he advocates for wildlife, and is a predator protector with three years of experience under his belt.

Sitting in the shade of a tree, he looks serious as he recounts his early struggles. Not long after starting his role he heard news of a lion hunt starting after a lion taking livestock had roused a group into seeking a retaliatory killing. Approaching the men, he was warned to back off, and told not to call for reinforcements. Despite the obvious tension and potential conflict, he enlisted help and stopped the hunt, but his intervention came at a price. Later, he was beaten for sharing the information. Admirably, he has no regrets about his actions and now enjoys the status that being a Lion Defender brings; as well as the opportunity to earn a wage.

There are a number of different employment roles that have been created in the village, all slightly different but all achieving the same purpose. They allow local villagers a way of generating an income from the wildlife, while at the same time protecting the income of pastoralists and farmers.

Traditional warriors who have never gone to school, but who are skilled trackers can use their local generational knowledge to conserve wildlife. The long-term conservation of lions and other carnivores can only be achieved when the people who live alongside the wildlife, sharing the same landscape, are involved in the process, and programs such as the Lion Defenders helps achieve this.

In this area there are now 18 Lion Defenders employed, covering at least 80% of village land, to help respond to events, reduce hostility and the likelihood of lethal retaliation.

Lion Landscapes Director of Conservation Programmes, Benjee Cascio, is understandably upbeat on how their activities have had a huge impact on the ground. Their data backs up his optimism and there’s a stark difference between the early days of the program and the situation now. For example, during the early 2010s when the concept was just starting, there were over 50 carnivore mortalities in a small area, but in 2023 this has been reduced to just 10 in an area over five times as large.

But the work is broader than that, and a big part of conflict reduction is the protection of livestock and the responses to conflict events. “In 2022 our Lion Defenders reinforced 68 traditional livestock enclosures, constructed 25 wire livestock enclosures, and retrieved nearly 1000 lost livestock,” explains Benjee. “Lost livestock is also a major cause of cattle being predated when they’ve become separated from the herd, and then there is the risk of retaliatory attacks by the farmers,” he adds.

Lion Defenders also apply basic treatment to injured livestock after a carnivore attack. This helps to provide immediate benefit to the pastoralists and gives Lion Landscapes the chance to be in direct contact with them. In turn, it helps reduce the potential for retaliatory poisoning or hunts.

Ultimately, Benjee strongly believes that community-led conservation must be driven by local stakeholders, and that by employing individuals that are based in the community it brings more ownership and greater involvement in all the conservation activities. It’s absolutely essential that integrated landscapes are managed so that people and wildlife both have the space and resources to exist together.

“Not only do Lion Defenders act as ambassadors to their community, but they are also the ones on the frontline, reducing attacks on livestock, monitoring the presence of wildlife, and responding to conflict events. Their role in community conservation is absolutely pivotal. Due to quick responses and a robust network, we have prevented or stopped 90% of traditional and retaliatory hunts,” he reveals.

“While Lion Landscapes assists in training, resources, and capacity building; ultimately this is a two-way relationship where the community also helps to educate us about its own needs and strategies to reduce human wildlife contact.”