An Educational GPS Collar?!

Since 2019 we have supported both KopeLion and the Mara Predator Conservation Programme (MPCP) in their efforts to deploy GPS collars onto wild lions in their study areas. Five collars in total have been sponsored including most recently the refurbishment of a collar through the MPCP which was covered in this blog post. We have had the privilege of meeting both of these teams in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Maasai Mara ecosystem to see how this pioneering piece of technology can have many different applications to real time conservation efforts.

Niels Mogensen, Senior Programme Scientist of the MPCP showed us on a visit to the Mara in February 2025 how they use the computer programme 'Earth Ranger' to track and monitor the lions and other collared carnivores within the landscape and how other uses are alerted to their presence with each imaginary boundary having an alert system in place if one of the collared animals comes close or crosses. In 2023 we were shown how KopeLion Ilchokuti, Guardians stationed in different community areas use their tracking equipment to locate the collared lions, their transceivers can show them how far away and the direction that the collared lion is coming from, which can help them make informed decisions to help mitigate potential conflicts. The photos below are from the MPCP and KopeLion of their collaring efforts that we have supported since 2019.

Over the years, GPS collars have turned into an important part of our overall strategy for lion conservation support and have been the subject of many successful fundraisers. We have however, never had a piece of interpretation that we can use to show properly what the collar is like and its different features. This year trustees have been brain storming the possibility of creating a replica and approached Vectronic Aeropsace the manufacturers of the collars used by both KopeLion and the MPCP for their advice. We were however, delighted when they responded with the idea to create us a complete replica collar and to donate it towards us to use for our educational efforts. The collar has now arrived and we are so pleased with the end result! We would like to add special thanks to our correspondence with Nicola Anklam of Vectronic Aerospace who has sent us the following quotes and information about their work.

"At VECTRONIC Aerospace, we are proud to support organizations that help raise awareness of wildlife conservation. For the Safina Lion Conservation Fund, we produced a non-functional demonstration version of one of our lion collars using original mechanical components and housings, but without any electronic hardware."

"To make the collar as realistic as possible, we added the protective belt used on our lion collars and included a demonstration Drop Off mechanism to illustrate how collars are safely released from animals at the end of a study. We hope this demonstration collar will support Safina's educational outreach by showcasing the close partnership between technology and conservation and highlighting how wildlife telemetry helps researchers protect wild lion populations."

Trustees are very excited that this new brilliant piece of interpretation has now arrived just in time for UK summer holidays and World Lion Day events and that it will be used at different zoo events throughout August as we raise funds for a GPS collar to be used for KopeLion in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We hope that this will enable us to talk in more detail to zoo visitors about the importance of collaring and hopefully something that we can use for many years to come. We would like to thank Vectronic Aerospace again for supporting our educational work.

Fuel Crisis Support for Saadani Lion Project

Trustees are delighted to share that we have continued our support of Monty Kalyahe of the Saadani Lion Project. In September our research grant of £1000 was sent to cover the cost of camera traps and in-the-field related expenses and materials for monitoring the lion population during his lion population survey taking place in September - December 2025. During this time Monty would also assess the viability of long term prey populations as well as engaging with local communities on surveys of how they live alongside the lions of this region. He submitted his full report for this period earlier this year which we attached and discussed in a previous blog - Report Submission From Saadani Lion Project.

After this, Monty got back in touch to explain his current situation. Following the global fuel crisis, there has been huge difficulties in being able to obtain and to afford fuel. Without fuel, Monty could not continue his important field work. Thanks to Monty for providing us more information below on how this affected his work in Saadani.

"The ongoing fuel shortages in Tanzania are expected to continue posing significant challenges to field-based lion research and conservation activities within the Saadani Lion Project. Reliable access to fuel will remain essential for conducting routine lion monitoring, ecological surveys, conflict response, and community engagement across the project landscape. However, limited and unpredictable fuel availability is likely to constrain the team's ability to implement planned field activities consistently.

For the Saadani Lion Project, these shortages will directly affect critical research operations, including vehicle-based monitoring of lion movements, data collection on lion populations and prey dynamics, and rapid responses to reports of human–lion conflict. Reduced mobility in the field could create gaps in long-term datasets and limit the project's capacity to respond effectively to emerging conservation challenges.

In this context, the support provided will be instrumental in maintaining continuity of both research and conservation efforts. The funds will enable the project to secure fuel whenever supplies become available and to prioritize essential field operations. This support will ensure that monitoring activities can continue, key research objectives remain on track, and conservation interventions are implemented with minimal disruption.

Beyond supporting logistics, this assistance will help safeguard the long-term integrity of lion research in the Saadani ecosystem during a period of national pressure on fuel access. It will allow the project team to maintain a consistent field presence, continue collecting critical data on lion ecology and behavior, and strengthen ongoing collaboration with local communities to mitigate human–lion conflict and promote coexistence. Ultimately, this support will help ensure that conservation action for lions in Saadani remains active, informed, and effective despite operational challenges."

"Thank you very much for your generous support and for arranging this contribution. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and will help us continue our planned conservation activities. We are grateful for your trust and partnership."

— Monty Kalyahe, Founder and Principle Investigator, Saadani Lion Project

Over the last couple of months trustees have been working to fundraise to be able to support Monty to secure fuel for his field vehicle. In June a donation of £500 was made exclusively for this reason and on the 28th June Monty was able to travel back to Saadani to continue his important work. We would like to thank in particular visitors of Linton Zoo who attended a lion talk on the 17th May, the Johnson family of Johnson's of Old Hurst Zoological Gardens for their own donation and to Lindsay Banks of Knowsley Safari for making this donation possible. We would also like to thank the Honeyguide Foundation for processing this donation.

We will continue to keep all of our supporters updated with the progress of this project and we look forward to seeing what the future holds.

MPCP GPS Collar Update

We are delighted to share that after a donation from our zoo partner Noah's Ark Zoo Farm we have now been able to send £1500 to sponsor the refurbishment of a GPS collar through the Mara Predator Conservation Programme which operates in the Maasai Mara in Kenya.

Over the years we have donated the funds to cover the cost of two GPS collars, one of which was used for a two year period on a male lion named "Ole Cook". By wearing the GPS collar the team are able to track him in real time, alerting herders to his presence if he wandered near community land. Niels Mogensen, Senior Programme Scientist of the MPCP showed us on a visit to the Mara in February 2025 how they use the computer programme 'Earth Ranger' to track and monitor the lions and other collared carnivores within the landscape and how other uses are alerted to their presence with each imaginary boundary having an alert system in place if one of the collared animals comes close or crosses.

The support of the Safina Lion Conservation Fund has played a vital role in our lion conservation efforts. By helping fund GPS collars and field monitoring, Safina has enabled us to track lions in real time, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and better understand the challenges lions face in an increasingly human-dominated landscape. Each collar provides invaluable information that helps us protect individual lions, support local communities, and ensure that conservation decisions are guided by sound science.”

— Niels Mogensen, Senior Programme Scientist - Mara, Mara Predator Conservation Programme

The photos above show Niels fitting a collar onto Ole Cook as well as some closer images of the collar itself during this process. The collar consists of a tough belt that fits around the neck, with the GPS unit on the top and the battery unit on the bottom. There are strict protocols in place regarding the ethics of the use of collars that are adhered to by the team to ensure that the collars do not affect the life or survival of the animal in question.

The GPS collars have also given the team the opportunity to collect and analyse important data on lion movement patterns over the two year period, shedding more light on lion behaviour along with other collared lions within the programme. This important research has recently been published by Niels Mogensen and his team and makes for very interesting reading.

We would like to thank the team at the Mara Predator Conservation Programme for allowing us to use the photos and text provided and we hope to keep you all updated soon now the collar has been sent for refurbishment on its progress.