Botswana Predator Conservation (formerly the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust) is a non-profit research organization protecting large carnivores in Botswana. Since 1989, its team has worked from “Dog Camp” in the Okavango Delta — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s largest Ramsar-listed wetland — studying lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, and spotted hyena.
- Location: Botswana
- Founded: By husband and wife J. Weldon McNutt Ph.D. and Lesley Boggs MA in 1989.
- Species: African Leopard, African Lion, African Wild Dog, Cheetah, and Spotted Hyena.
The trust works towards ensuring populations of these wild beasts remain healthy; all while promoting tourism through eco-friendly practices. It is an organization that was founded in 1989 with the goal of helping to conserve these predators.
What is the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust?
Botswana Predator Conservation is one of the longest-running large-carnivore research projects in Africa, having grown out of the original 1989 Botswana Wild Dog Research Project. Its team continues to conduct long-term research from its camp in the Okavango Delta.
The predator trust aims to ensure that Botswana’s animals remain abundant for future generations of Africans and international visitors. The trust does not just focus on large mammals, but also provides educational programs about Botswana’s diverse ecosystem that it hopes will make more people appreciate this natural resource.
Botswana Predator Conservation Trust’s Mission
The organization’s main objective is to promote the conservation of Botswana’s native wild large carnivores animals, their natural habitat, and ecosystems.
It aims to work closely with communities to provide direct benefits for those living in Botswana as well as those who come from other countries for safari hunting.
The organization is one of the handfuls of organizations of its caliber worldwide. It promotes the participation of all Botswanan citizens and local communities in or out of northern Botswana in conservation. It is through education, support of wildlife custodians, skilled conservationists, and providing awareness programs.
The predator conservation trust also promotes the participation of all Botswanan citizens in conservation to protect endangered species through education and awareness programs.
Botswana is home to more than forty species of large mammals within its diverse habitats, including all five of the region’s large carnivores — lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, and spotted hyena.
These predators can’t do what they do best without food sources like zebras or wildebeest, but unfortunately, these killer carnivores are often the main victims of the region’s fast-growing and ever-expanding human population and their livestock.
The conservation trust wants to preserve our predators for future generations.
See Related: How Do Animals Adapt To Their Environment?
Why does Botswana Predator Conservation Trust help Wild Animals?
The trust helps wild large carnivore species because they work to protect Botswana’s predators from extinction. They also work to educate people about the importance of predators in the ecosystem, and how crucial they are for maintaining balance in the environment.
Their goal is to help predators (African wild dog, cheetah, and more) thrive so that the whole ecosystem can flourish.
What does Botswana Predator Conservation aim to stop?
The most common threats to wild animals that the organization aims to stop are poaching hunting, climate change, and habitat loss.
- Poaching – poaching is a major issue that is threatening the existence of various animal all over the world. In many cases, poachers are able to kill animals illegally and sell their body parts for a high price. This can have a devastating impact on the population of certain animals. One of the main reasons why poaching is such a big problem is that it is often very lucrative. Poachers can make a lot of money by selling the body parts of animals they kill illegally. This has led to an increase in poaching in recent years. Another reason why poaching is such a big problem is that it is often very dangerous. Poachers often have to travel through dangerous areas in order to get to their targets. They also have to use a variety of dangerous tools to get the job done.
- Climate change – climate change is a major threat to animals in the wild , as it can impact the environment in which they live. Changes in climate can lead to changes in the distribution of prey and predator populations, making it difficult for them to survive. Additionally, climate change can also cause extreme weather events that can lead to the death of animals.
- Habitat loss – habitat loss is one of the major threats to animals. It can occur when a certain area is cleared for human development, such as residential and commercial buildings, roads, and farms. This can also occur when natural habitats, such as forests and wetlands, are destroyed. When this happens, the animals that lives there lose their homes and become displaced. They may also struggle to find food and water, which can lead to them becoming sick or dying.
- The decreasing number of prey – The decreasing number of prey affects predators in the wild in a few ways. The most evident way is that the predators have to travel further distances to find food, leading to increased energy expenditure. This can also lead to health problems for the predators. In addition, when prey is scarce, the predators may start to scavenge on carcasses, which can introduce diseases into the predator population.
Despite these challenges, there are a few organizations that work together to stop poaching and protect wild animals from poachers. One such organization is Botswana Predator Conservation, which has worked to protect Botswana’s large carnivores since 1989.
Projects
Through the trust, Botswana’s threatened animals have access to resources that help them thrive.
To date, the organization has saved many large carnivore animals including lions, wild dogs, and leopards through their programs.
The Conservation Trust conducts research projects including population monitoring of the different predators, animal segregation patterns, and conservation research of African wild dog territorial boundaries through the BioBoundary Project.
The conservation Trust has also developed a primary school coaching project to link football to conservation. Conduct Botswana Wild Dog Research Project and reduce human-predator conflict measures. They also work on Botswana’s cheetahs and Spotted Hyenas.
What are the threats that predators in Botswana face?
Could Botswana’s most iconic, and lesser-seen wildlife be disappearing before our very eyes? Botswanan predators like cheetahs and wild dogs roam the Botswana landscape. Prey such as antelope and kudu often outnumber predators.
Yet the number of prey has been steadily decreasing across all regions. Predation (hunger) is only a handful of many threats these predators face with others including habitat fragmentation, drought, bush fires, poaching, and human-animal conflict.
How Can I Donate to Help?
There are a few ways in which you can help and donate to the conservation trust:
- monetary donations
- volunteering
- becoming a member
Monetary donations are always welcome and will be used to help with the protection of predators in Botswana. If you are interested in volunteering, the trust would love to have you on board. Lastly, becoming a member gives you exclusive access to updates about the work that we do, as well as how you can help us conserve Botswana’s predators.
Do you want to support the work of Botswana Predator Conservation (now operating under the Wild Entrust nonprofit) to protect African predators through their research and coaching programs? Visit their website to learn more or donate.
Related Resources