Sun Safaris is honoured to represent the exciting world of African travel, offering our guests the opportunity to experience the wild world we so love and respect. Sadly, there are issues facing conservation that threaten the very survival of our animal species that have reached a point of emergency. We believe that this battle needs to be fought in unity and all those whose hearts are claimed by a part of Africa need to step up and take action to help keep our wildlife from harm.
For the last 50 years, the almighty king, the lion, has come under serious threat due to human conflict, habitat loss, hunting and greed, and are now facing a sure extinction should we not take responsibility in trying to stop the spiral. Recently Sun Safaris has taken its awareness campaign a step further and is now proudly sponsoring a Lion Guardian in Namibia’s unexplored wilderness, the Kunene Region. Here, the population of lions has been rescued from the brink of extinction by Dr Flip Stander’s Desert Lion Conservation, sponsored by TOSCO.org – Tourism Supporting Conservation.
One of the initiatives TOSCO has developed and implemented is that of the Lion Guardians. This is a multi-beneficial program that, by employing local members of the rural communities, adds value to the magnificent lion and protects them from conflict with herders and farmers. What this system does is creates an “early warning” whereby shepherds are alerted by the guardian of the nearby presence of a lion and can then relocate their cattle and avoid the conflict that would ordinarily result in the tragic loss of both valuable animals.
This initiative has been a raging success in the Masai Mara in Kenya and in Nambia, through TOSCO.org. Sun Safaris has “employed” Bertus Tjipombo of the Puros Conservancy in the Kunene and in return for the salary we pay him every month, he ambitiously and proudly protects his community and their cattle from the threat of a lion, whilst acknowledging the importance of lions and contributing to the wealth of Namibian tourism.
If you would like to sponsor a Lion Guardian, contact TOSCO.org and you will be linked up swiftly and efficiently and you can proudly join the rest of us who are making an active effort to protect Africa’s lions.
Chloe Cooper
