Improving Human-Wildlife Coexistence in Mola

We hope that you and your families are all safe and well during this challenging time. 

As COIVD-19 swept across the globe in the last few months and Zimbabwe joined the many countries under a national lockdown, all project work was put on hold.

Before this happened, the Mola Wildlife Coexistence Project was doing very well. The new year started with 40 children joining our Conservation Clubs in the area, learning about conservation, the environment and how healthy ecosystems contribute to healthy communities. Thanks to your kind support, we planted almost 200 fruit trees which will be tended by the Conservation Clubs and hopefully soon, bear fruit to supplement the local school children's diets and improve food security. 

The number of lion-proof cattle bomas grew to 11, and all cattle received veterinary care including their vaccinations. No livestock were lost to disease or predation during this reporting period. 73% more land was enriched with natural fertiliser from rotating the cattle bomas, crops were planted and are growing well. 

The Lion Guardians' training and all other planned activities have unfortunately been postponed until it is safe to travel and hold gatherings. The wellbeing of the communities and our staff remains our top priority and we are grateful that no cases of the virus have been reported in the area.

Thank you once again for your kind and generous support. We look forward to sharing good news with you all again soon. 

A very happy new year to all of our donors and thank you again for your support!

We couldn't be more pleased to let you know that in the last quarter of 2019, we were able to reach some significant project milestones, including: 

• The village now has 11 mobile cattle bomas, which have been moved four times during the course of the year, fertilising 15670 square meters of agricultural land in preparation for sowing season which is now upon us. We're excited to see the improvement in crop yields as a result - provided the recent rains continue to fall. 

• All 151 cattle in the bomas have received veterinary care, including preventative treatment for local diseases as part of the Animal Health component of the Programme. Two cattle had recently been lost to preventable diseases, which represents a significant blow to a family's livelihood. Now, with ongoing veterinary care, including vaccinations, cattle and people's livelihoods are more secure. 

• Two GPS tracking collars for lions have been purchased, and our permit application to operate GPS tacking systems in the area has been approved by the National Parks Authority. The lion collars are currently being imported to Zimbabwe from the USA, and will allow our Lion Guardians to track lion movement and notify the community when lions are nearby. This will give them time to corral their cattle to safety and prepare to scare the lions out of community land with the use of strident horns. 

Reaching these milestones represent the first huge strides for this project, which will benefit this marginalised community, the landscape and the wildlife that call it home - and it could not have come at a better time. In recent weeks, we have had reports of new lions moving into the area, and it is imperative that we protect them as well as the community. 

Thank you for being part of this journey. With your support, we're looking forward to an equally exciting first quarter in 2020, when we hope to set up camera traps, provide training for our three Lion Guardians, update cattle vaccinations and (fingers crossed!) collar two lions.