How We Arrived At A $1 Billion Annual Price Tag To Save Africa’s Lions

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How We Arrived At A $1 Billion Annual Price Tag To Save Africa’s Lions

By Luke Hunter, Chief Conservation Officer of Panthera, Research Associate, University of KwaZulu-Natal Research Fellow; originally published on The Conversation

A billion dollars. That’s approximately what it would cost, to save the African lion. That’s a billion dollars each year, every year into the foreseeable future.

The startling price tag comes from a calculation we did, starting with a new database we compiled of available funding in protected areas with lions. To our knowledge it’s the most comprehensive and up-to-date database of its kind.

Protected areas are the cornerstone of conservation yet we found that most of Africa’s extraordinary parks face grave funding shortfalls. Parks without funding often become protected in name only. Their staff, including the rangers and guards on the frontlines, simply cannot function without funds that pay for working equipment, rations, petrol and to keep the electricity running. Sometimes even salaries go unpaid.

Using the conservation needs of lions as a proxy for wildlife more generally, we compiled a dataset of funding in Africa’s protected areas with lions and estimated a minimum target for conserving the species and managing the areas effectively.

Tanzania's Southern Selous Game Reserve Is An Unexplored Safari Adventure Waiting For Us

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Tanzania's Southern Selous Game Reserve Is An Unexplored Safari Adventure Waiting For Us

The Serengeti's wildlife sanctuary is a vast expanse over 5,700 square miles and its otherworldly animal migration is one of the New Wonders of the World, writes Vogue.com. According to the Tanzania Tourist Board, nearly 1.3 million people visit the country annually, with about two-thirds of visitors heading for the Serengeti. The others stick close to the north—the Ngorongoro Crater, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Lake Manyara—and also the island of Zanzibar.

This reality leaves the southern half of Tanzania perhaps the best-kept Safari secret with untouched terrain and the Selous Game Reserve, twice the size of the Serengeti. 

Comparing the two, Ruaha houses 10 percent of the planet’s lion population, as well as one of the largest elephant populations on our planet. Selous is home to the world’s largest population of wild dogs, is nicknamed Giraffe Park because of the density of these long-necks animals, and is home to some of Tanzania's last remaining black rhinos. Not only is nature's extraordinary wildlife abundant, but seeing it is an almost solo experience. 

GlamTribal 6" Art Tiles/Trivets Sets

Sets of 2 or 4 Coasters w/Art Tile $40 and $55

My GLAMTRIBALE Jewelry & Gift Collection is inspired by and committed to Africa, the ancestral home of humanity. 10% of our revenues support elephant conservation and The Kibera School for Girls in Nairobi. 

Our ceramic 4" coasters and sets w/6" art tile for flowers, a bottle of wine or wine bucket keep table surfaces safe while drenching our eyes with oil-painting-like images, printed on art canvas. Here's a sampling:

Redtracker | Beyonce Slays the MTV VMAs, Makes 'Lemonade' & Passes Madonna's Wins

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Women's News Headlines August 29, 2016

Four of America's five gold-medal winning Olympic gymnasts hugged 'Lemonade' MTV VMAs winner Beyonce on Sunday night. Teammate Gabby Douglas could not attend due to a medical issue. The faces of Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Madison Kocian and Laurie Hernandez all beamed as they hugged the Lemonade megastar. 
Beyonce won two of the highest honors at last night MTV VMAs, winning Video of the Year and Best Female Video.  Her achievements propelled her ahead of Madonna in most career wins. Bey was introduced by Serena Williams, who redefined the little black dress. Williams opens at the New York Open tennis tournament today. Read her weekend in-depth from the NYT. 

Read on: Women's News Headlines August 29, 2016

More Headlines

Giuliani rips Beyonce over VMAs performance @ Politico

Venus Williams, Off the Court @ New York Times

The Coddling of the American Mind @ The Atlantic

Why Your Next Safari Should Be in Zimbabwe @ Conde Nast Traveler

Women's News Headlines August 29, 2016

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge In Botswana's Okavango Delta Is A Jewel Of Sustainability & Femininity

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Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge In Botswana’s Okavango Delta Is A Jewel Of Sustainability & Femininity

It’s been six years since AOCwrote about Botswana’s lush Okavango Delta. What a pleasure to see these female-centric, goddess-inspired images of Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge, designed by Michaelis Boyd and Nick Plewman, and set adjacent to the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve.

Not only does the building blend in with the local landscape, but its 12 inner suites take on the appearance of weaverbird nests. Indeed the structures are cathedral-like, all designed to inspire and honor our inner nature goddess — for women and men alike.

Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge in part of the & Beyond community. a group of luxury ‘boutique’ safari lodges designed to be in complete harmony with the latest goals of sustainability hotel communities.

In a long list of accomplishments, Botswana has much to celebrate. Thanks to years of political stability and a farsighted conservation policy by the government, Botswana’s ecosystem is stable. More than a third of the country is protected in a luxury tourism model. Higher prices guarantee less wear and tear on the environment. The practice is elitist but working.