The Kgalagadi Lion Project is a research-orientated programme aimed at investigating and monitoring the lion population of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. The project was started due to an observation that there is a significant gender skew in the population of lions in the area with many more males than females. This could have long-term effects on the survival of lions in the area. As lions are the apex predator in the Kgalagadi ecosystem their extinction would have a direct effect on prey and smaller predator numbers and, in turn, have negative effects on the ecosystem as a whole. As very little information to explain this situation is available, research is urgently needed to effectively plan and manage conservation efforts to ensure the survival of lions within the Kgalagadi.

The Kgalagadi Lion Project is a research-orientated programme aimed at investigating and monitoring the lion population of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. The project was started due to an observation that there is a significant gender skew in the population of lions in the area with many more males than females. This could have long-term effects on the survival of lions in the area. As lions are the apex predator in the Kgalagadi ecosystem their extinction would have a direct effect on prey and smaller predator numbers and, in turn, have negative effects on the ecosystem as a whole. As very little information to explain this situation is available, research is urgently needed to effectively plan and manage conservation efforts to ensure the survival of lions within the Kgalagadi.

The SATIB Conservation Trust has donated a fully insured Land Rover Defender research vehicle to be used extensively for data collection on lion diet and demographic profiling. The researchers travel up to 2500km per month over very difficult terrain in order to locate and observe the lions in the 1.5 million hectare study area so a secure, reliable vehicle is essential to the success of the project. The Trust will continue to provide PR support and transportation services and may assist the team with the possible introduction of a human-wildlife conflict programme.