Limpopo Lion Protection Unit

The lions of Limpopo NP, Mozambique, are facing a targeted poaching crisis. Lions are being repeatedly poisoned and snared for their body parts and bones to feed a growing demand. 

Our recent survey efforts, as the Greater Limpopo Carnivore Program,  have documented a notably decline in lion sign raising concerns over the wellbeing of known prides.

On the 3rd July 2017 we discovered 3 lions of the known 'Shingwedzi Pride' poached for body parts - 2 sub adult males and an adult lioness. Their faces and paws brutally hacked off after they succumbed to agonising deaths.



Every single lion we have found over the last year has been poached. We have cremated 3 times as many lions as we have collared to date. Overall we have recorded 35 lion deaths attributed to poaching since 2011 with an exponential increase in incidents since 2015. This is a staggering 26% of the estimated Mozambican population of GLTFCA.


This population is critically important to the viability of the larger Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) lion population - one of Africa's last lion strongholds. Every loss brings the region one step closer to local extinction and we need to stop this demise now. 


To address this threat directly and immediately the GLCP is launching the Greater Limpopo Carnivore Protection Unit. A dedicated anti-poaching team of locally employed and trained rangers that will remove snares and poison sites from core resident lion areas in the region.  

The Unit will not only remove and prevent direct taregted poaching threats to lions but also restore the ecological integrity of the region by reducing snare risks to lion prey bases, other large carnivores and remove deadly poison from the ecosystem that if left can have long-term, catastrophic impacts on local wildlife. 

We need to launch this initiative by September 2017 before any more lions are lost from the Limpopo population. To ensure we can achieve this and that our Unit will be its most effective we need your support to help fund the following:

·      Uniforms (x 4)

·      Backpacks (x 4)

·      Sleeping kit - tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat (x 4)

·      Rations (x 12 months)

·      Binoculars (x 4)

·      Satellite Phone (x 1)

·      ‘Cedar’ – SMART applicable units for data collation         (GPS, photos, track logs, etc) (x 2)

·      Bolt cutters (x 2)

·      Poison site forensic kits (x 4)

·      Fuel (x 12 months)


For the following donation amounts you can support us with:

$30 – 1 month x rations (3 people)

$50 – 1 x sleeping kit (1 x tent, 1 x sleeping bag, 1 x sleep mat)

$100 – 1 x sleeping kit, 1 x uniform, 1 x backpack, 1 month x rations

$300 – 1 x satellite phone

$500 – 1 x Cedar unit

$1000 – 4 x sleeping kit, 4 x uniform, 4 x backpack, 5 month x rations, 2 x binoculars, 1 x poison site forensic kit, 1 x bolt cutter, fuel


100% of proceeds received will go DIRECTLY into the field through the Greater Limpopo Carnivore Program and will DIRECTLY help us prevent more poaching incidents.

PLEASE consider supporting us with any amount to help us get our rangers into the field by September and restore the lion population of Limpopo NP.

Visit us at: www.facebook.com/greaterlimpopocarnivoreprogram