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.