Impact

LIVING WALLS KEEP ANIMALS & PEOPLE ALIVE

African People and Wildlife Fund building living fences by Richard Shiffman.

by Richard Shiffman. African People and Wildlife Fund building living fences.

Now trees are saving lives. Lions, leopards, cattle, and people can now live more harmoniously thanks to a new initiative from The African People and Wildlife Fund (APW) as well as others from The Born Free Foundation and National Geographic. And we’re sharing a beautiful innovative solution developed by a young Maasai boy.

AFRICAN PEOPLE & WILDLIFE FUND

When people try to raise cattle in the middle of the wilds of Africa, it’s a tricky thing. The lions and leopards manage to break into the cattle pens, the cattle manage to break out and try to run away, and, in either case, the cattle become prey. The farmers retaliate by poisoning the predators, the scavengers get poisoned too. And a vicious cycle ensues.

The African People & Wildlife Fund (APW), co-founded by Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld and Charles Trout, has been working in the Tarangire ecosystem (3 million acres) to conserve one of Tanzania’s most threatened lion populations, with only an estimated 450 to 600 lions remaining.

The Maasai and other native tribes in Tanzania have traditionally relied on bomas, or fence-like enclosures, built using thorn bushes, to keep their cattle safe from predators. But they haven’t worked well. The bushes are hard to get. Their collection has resulted in deforestation problems. Plus they have to be replaced every 3 months. And too many lions and leopards get through.

Now, APW has developed a new solution to this age old problem, using live commiphora trees to create barriers that a predator-proof. Cuttings from the mature trees are planted next to chain link fences, and, as they grow, they reinforce the fences.

As the trees grow, their interlocked crowns create an impenetrable barrier, which, unlike chain link alone, cannot be scaled by leopard and lion. The tree’s thick root system prevents hyenas from tunnelling in from below.

The “parent” tree isn’t cut down or killed in the fencing process. The technique helps to prevent habitat loss and further deforestation, in fact it is increasing the number of trees on the Maasai Steppe.

The APW Living Wall has demonstrated 100% effectiveness in preventing the predators from trampling through. They’ve also reduced lion-killings by 60%. The trees actually make the barriers stronger over time, as they grow. And they can last as long as 25 years.

In the APW’s 2013 report, the organization noted that they have successfully installed a total of 350 Living Walls for the Masai tribes. This will help save the lives of over 70 lions this year alone. And the lion population is beginning to rebound.

APW’s 3500 Living Walls can protect approximately 75,000 livestock nightly.

BUILD A BOMA

The National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative has joined the noble campaign for fortifying bomas with its Build a Boma campaign.

The campaign has already built and fortified over one hundred new bomas.

Build a Boma uses a different method for fortification, surrounding the thickets with walls of chain link. Although not as visually beautiful as APW’s Living Wall, these fortified bomas have helped quite a bit as well.

BORN FREE FOUNDATION

The Born Free Foundation manages a team of technicians in Kenya, strategically installing and reinforcing lion-proof bomas in communities that are the most vulnerable to lion attacks.

Born Free’s “lion-proof” bomas consist of a ring of strong poles, spaced 3 metres apart, installed around the thorn boma. A 2m high hexagonal steel wire mesh is put in place on either side, and doors, made from recycled oil drums are attached.

One lion proof boma can accommodate up to 800 cows and 400 sheep or goats and to date an estimate of at least 2,500 people and 32,500 livestock are now better protected as a result of this program. This number is set to increase tremendously thanks to partnerships with the Land Rover, African Wildlife Foundation and others. Boma construction is planned for West Kilimanjaro, adjacent to Amboseli, in Tanzania.

RICHARD TURERE

While the demand is still high and availability low for lion-proof bomas throughout Africa, Richard Turere, a 13-year-old Maasai boy invented an innovative method of keeping his family and livestock safe from lion attacks.

In 2011, instead of turning to killing, Turere invented a creative solar-powered light security system, made out of an old car battery and a flashlight, to create an inexpensive lion deterrent. The system creates dynamic light movements that work to scare lions away from the premises at night.

Since introducing the simple technology to his home nearly two years ago, Turere and his family have not had any attacks on their livestock by lions. And no lions have been killed.

Watch Turere’s TED Talk, Turere is pushing for more communities in Africa to install this inexpensive solution.

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PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: by Richard Shiffman. African People and Wildlife Fund building living fences.
Photo: Courtesy of CanAssist African Relief. Traditional Maasai Boma by John A Geddes.
Photo: by Richard Shiffman. African People and Wildlife Fund building living fences.
Photo: Courtesy of the African People and Wildlife Fund. Cattle, protected by Bomas.
Photo: Courtesy of African People and Wildlife Fund. Living Wall.
Photo: By Luke Dollar. Living Fence created by the African People and Wildlife Fund.
Photo: Courtesy of WildLifeDirect. Living Fence.
Photo: Courtesy of African People and Wildlife Fund. Building a Living Wall.
Photo: Courtesy of the African People and Wildlife Fund. Strengthening Bomas.
Photo: by David Manoa. Lion-Proof Boma.
Photo: By Arno Meintjes. “Lions.”
Photo: Courtesy of In the Wrong Gear. Lions.
Photo: By Brent Stirton. Richard Turere Installs Lights on a Boma to Deter Predators.
Photo: By Eugene Wei. African Lion.