Farmers of the Different Conservancies

Practical support

How DeLHRA supports farmers

Human-lion conflict in the Kunene region of Namibia is the central challenge behind the work of this voluntary, non-profit organisation, founded in 2017 to preserve wildlife while protecting the livelihoods of local farming communities. Desert lions and pastoralists have long shared the same dryland, and tension rises whenever cattle are taken. The approach described here is cooperative rather than confrontational, treating farmers as partners in conservation rather than obstacles to it.

One practical strand of that work involves memorandums of understanding with conservancies across the region, including Sorris-Sorris, Torra, Anabeb, Sesfontein and Purros. Each agreement formalises a shared aim, allowing the organisation to assist communal and commercial farmers directly with corral-building materials and predator-deterrent equipment. In this way, protected areas and private ranches become allies in keeping livestock, wildlife and people safe within the same landscape.

Conflict mitigation is not only about fences and hardware. Educating communities about lion behaviour, raising awareness of the species' rarity and its conservation value, and improving relations between humans and predators form the wider backbone of the mission. Desert lions are described as facing extinction, which gives their survival an urgency that extends beyond the boundaries of any single conservancy or farm, and community support becomes an essential part of the answer.

The vision behind these agreements is a permanent, workable solution to human-lion conflict rather than short-term relief. Farms and conservancies operate side by side in the Kunene region, so the outcome depends on trust, shared information and practical tools that reduce losses without excluding wildlife from its habitat. Every participating conservancy therefore holds a piece of the puzzle, and each one contributes to a broader, more durable conservation picture.

Supporting the effort is open to anyone who shares the aim of preserving desert lions while securing local livelihoods. Because the organisation is non-profit and voluntary, resources raised are directed towards field support such as shade structures, livestock enclosures, and detection or deterrent lighting that discourages predators from approaching herds at night, alongside ongoing monitoring and community engagement.