News

Strengthening Lion Conservation Through Robust Population Science

Prof Venter and his team recently completed large-scale, spatially explicit lion population assessments in the Savé Valley Conservancy and the Marula region of Kruger National Park, supported by the Lion Recovery Fund.

Using advanced spatial capture–recapture modelling and rigorous field-based identification protocols, these surveys produced defensible, transparent baselines for long-term lion monitoring. By explicitly accounting for detection probability and animal movement, this approach strengthens management confidence compared to traditional index-based methods.

Projects such as these demonstrate how robust, evidence-based population assessment can directly inform adaptive management, sustainable utilisation decisions, and long-term conservation strategy in both open and semi-managed systems.