Every cup saves a pup - the beach dogs of Baja, Mexico

You can’t miss it.

Driving along the bumpy dusty road towards Cerritos Beach in Baja California, Mexico.

On the left hand side, in between the tall cacti and under the blistering sun.

A big shipping container with CERRITOS BEACH DOGS beautifully stenciled in bold black. A sign reads “drink coffee, save pups”. Coffee and puppies?

How could anyone resist!!!  

Meet Mackie!

I met the lovely Mackie on my visit to Cerritos Beach in January. Mackie is the Adoption Coordinator as well as the Social Media Manager for Cerritos Beach Dogs (very worth a follow on Instagram for the very creative, engaging and adorable posts, even if you do not live anywhere near Mexico!!). A huge animal lover, originally from North Carolina, Mackie made her way down to Baja in her converted campervan and has been working as a volunteer at Cerritos Beach Dogs for several months.

After ordering a delicious coffee from their little cafe, she introduced me to all the sweet pups and told me a little about how Cerritos Beach Dogs got started.

How YouTube changed the game

Cerritos Beach Dogs was founded by a group of dog lovers who wanted to do their part for the stray dogs in Mexico.

In January 2022, a local hotel owner named Alex (who owns the hotel So far So Good at Cerritos Beach) took in a litter of stray puppies and made a makeshift rescue behind his hotel. It wasn’t the most ideal space as the ground was made from dirt… a breeding ground for deadly contagious viruses for dogs like parvo. Alex knew it couldn’t be a long-term solution. He also knew that the stray dog population was a big problem in the area and that this litter would not be the last.

It so happened that YouTubers Eamon and Bec were also visiting the area along with fellow YouTubers Sabrina and Nick. They met Alex and learned about his dream to set up a dog rescue in Cerritos on land that he owned. Inspired by his idea, they decided to help him build a dog shelter to care for the litter of puppies and any other dogs in need!

In just 30 days, with the help of the community, they built Cerritos Beach Dogs!!!
Watch the video here of how it all started here:

The lovely team is small but mighty! Mackie explained how the first few months were a big learning curve for everyone in terms of managing a rescue but they have a great team of volunteers who care deeply for the dogs and finding them a forever home.

“Augstine has been rescuing dogs her entire life, so she is the main person in charge of the dogs and ensuring they get the right vetinary care and medications. Juan Pablo is in charge of the cafe and I do the adoptions and social media”, explains Mackie.

”Alex comes by and does the dog care in the evenings. We have a good system down where we share responsibilities in the cafe and then cleaning and dog care throughout the day. It’s definitely a lot of work!”

Come to Baja for a road trip, leave with a rescue pup

We asked Mackie how the rescue does throughout the tourist seasons in Baja.

“Summer was definitely difficult with how hot it was and how few people come here at that time of the year. Generally, “van lifers” come down from the US or Canada around February or March to escape the winter. The weather at that time of year in Mexico is also perfect for living in a van with lots of free camping spots on the way down towards Cerritos Beach so we get a lot of people coming through here.”

This means that Cerritos Beach Dogs is perfectly located for travellers who want to adopt one of their dogs and bring them home. Most of the adoptions come from people who live in the US or Canada as adopters drive the pups back home (I thought this was really fantastic as it saves putting rescue dogs through stressful situations on airplanes to fly to other countries!).

There are some local adoptions in the Baja area, but Mackie explained that most local people have dogs already. Mackie herself fosters when she can and absolutely loves when the dogs are adopted locally where possible, so that she can watch the dogs grow up!

She explained how adoptions have been slow lately because of the holidays but she hopes things pick up as the busy season sets in. “We have to go with the seasons of tourism here which is really interesting to see the waves of people come and go. I really feel for the small businesses here too in that sense. Its really hard to watch the dogs stay here for a long time and get bigger, because the bigger they get, the harder it is for them to be adopted”.

We met Cacao and Malibu, two gorgeous dogs with floppy ears and really unique, inquisitive faces. Mackie said they had been fostered and trained really well but had not received one application despite constant social media postings. She said they are much more chilled when they are outside of the rescue and she would really love to see them find a home.

Mackie also explained how last year (2023) the area was packed with people but this year, it seemed a little slower in the beach town.

The town of Cerritos Beach

Cerritos is a little beach town in southern Baja home to a small community that love to surf, play beach volleyball and hang out at the local beach bars and restaurants. Cerritos is a place that is going to explode over the next few years. Right now, there isn’t a lot of infrastructure but we couldn’t believe the number of constructions sites in the area.

Mackie explained how she would love to find more consistent volunteers to help out with the dogs. Because of the transient nature of the town with people going and coming all the time, it’s hard to find people who stick around long enough to be long-term volunteers.

“We get a lot of volunteers who come and visit and help with the dog walking which is great, we love that! We’re so close to the beach so they can just walk down with the dogs. It gets them out of the shelter for a while and gets them used to new people.”

Animal Welfare in Mexico

Reports show a staggering 18 million stray dogs across the country of Mexico! Things are slowly changing with the help of amazing animal rescues, like CBD.

“I find that here there are SO many people that care about dogs, whether it’s international expats, Mexicans, locals or citizens. A lot of people look at dogs as creatures that deserve love, which is not always the case in other Central American countries where dogs can be looked at as pests”, said Mackie.

She explained that there is still horror stories that happen with dogs in Baja, which ultimately comes down to a lack of education, a huge lack of spay/neuter practices and an overwhelming overpopulation problem, which results in lots of street dogs. The street dogs in Baja are generally very well fed and are taken care of a little bit by the locals.

Luckily there are several organizations in the Baja area that are working towards better animal welfare for dogs and who offer free sterilization clinics almost every month in cooperation with the Mexican government.

Cerritos Beach Dogs had their first spay/neuter clinic with another local dog rescue called Dog Prana in January 2024. The plan is to do them once a month and to go to areas north of Cerritos/Totos Santos and into areas which don’t currently have these services. They will go door to door to explain what they are doing, offer free services and at the same time, educate locals about the importance of steralization for their pets.

“We’re going to start with very small clinics, so that we have chance to get to know the dog owners and the local community. We’ll choose different spots each time - this month we are going to be in Pescadaro and we plan to steralize 40-80 dogs! It was a big goal of ours to start spay/neuter clinics and we could not be doing it without the help of Dog Pranha! Mariana, the founder has over 20 years of experience in dog rescue, so we are excited to learn from her.”

Spay/Neuters clinics are such important services to offer local communities - not just in Mexico but around the world! These services are often in demand with people wanting the best for their dogs, but it’s often the case that a lack of transport or funds prevent them from doing so. These clinics are really a win-win for everyone - for the dog owners, for the rescues, for the dogs, for communities and for improving animal welfare.

I asked Mackie how do dogs end up at the shelter? Do people bring them in for care?

“We get a lot of texts. Every day. And its hard because a lot of the time we have to say no to dogs, because we just don’t have the space. People will say they’ve found a puppy and they’ve been fostering for 2 months but now have to leave and don’t know what to do with the dog. But I always try to give people recommendations on where to go and how to help. I know how hard it is, because you can’t just leave a dog you find on the street but it really is a problem here. It’s so important to focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t. There are a lot of people here who show up and help out so that’s always hopeful.”

The maximum capacity is around 10-15 dogs (depending on size). They try to only have 2 adult dogs maximum because of territorial issues - their mascot Tofu is very territorial and they’ve found it very hard to get her adopted because of that. Limited space for the dogs and a small team to ensure they are in a clean area and well looked after, means they don’t want to take in too many dogs which would sacrifice the level of care they can give to them.

“ It’s so important to focus on what we can do rather than what we can’t. “

What’s the vision for the future?

“We’d love to add another kennel so that we can take in some more dogs. But we do have to be very considerate of our neighbours as there are a lot of houses and hotels in the area.”

Mackie also highlighted how they would love to start working with rescues “up North” (in the USA and Canada) as rescue partners but doing that is more complicated than you would think.

“The problem is that every rescue is really overwhelmed right now after Covid since so many people abandoned their dogs. Right now we do some work with Dog Hero in Oregon and they take in 30 dogs a month from kill shelters despite being just a foster-based organization - it’s happening everywhere and it’s really difficult with individual adoptions. The ideal situation would be to have a rescue partner up North in the US who could take some of our dogs and give potential adopters a chance to meet the dogs before they commit to adopting.”

Baja dogs need YOUR help!!!

It was abundtly clear from speaking to Mackie about Cerritos Beach Dogs and getting to meet the dogs in their care, that this is an organization and a team of people who care deeply about these dogs.

We ended by asking Mackie, what can people do to help?

1. Follow the Instagram page (this is genuinely one of my favourite accounts to follow - the cutest pupdates :) )

   Like & share their posts when you can so more exposure is given to the doggos looking for homes.

2. Donating to the rescue is always so helpful. You can find their donation page here - a little goes a long way and all funds go to vetinary care, food and care for the dogs.

3. If anyone is ever travelling to Cerritos - make sure to go and support by stopping by to purchase a coffee, a t shirt or taking some time out of your day to walk the dogs or help volunteer!!!

4. Food donations are always welcome (but they do ask that it is Kirkland Costco food so that they keep the food consistent for the dogs). They also accept blankets and towels. Dog kennels are very helpful for transporting dogs to the vet or to their new homes.

5. Be a flight angel - if you’re visiting Baja and flying home to certain locations, this is of no cost to you and will be a huge help to get a dog to their new home! CBD will meet you at the Los Cabos airport and the adopter meets you at your destination!

6. Give a dog a new life…adopt if you can! You can find all the dogs available for adoption or fostering here. Getting dogs out of rescues is so important so that there is more space for other dogs who need saving.

Find more information on their website: https://www.cerritosbeachdogs.com/

A heartfelt thanks to Mackie and the Cerritos Beach Dogs team for their incredible work, and for giving me the chance to experience firsthand the love and care they provide to these deserving pups! <3

From corporate to conservation: how diverse experiences can lead to your dream job

The journey to a career in conservation is rarely straightforward – more like a winding trail with unexpected turns and exciting detours. Mark Cox’s path is no exception. After landing his dream job at WWF straight out of college, he ventured into the corporate world, only to rediscover his passion for conservation later on.

His career in communications has unfolded as an adventure, weaving in and out of various industries and gathering invaluable skills while building connections along the way. Mark’s story is a testament to the power of diverse experiences and the many surprising ways one can ultimately find their calling in conservation.

The dream job

Mark’s fascination with the natural world began in childhood, alongside a deep love for creative activities like drawing and design. Initially  set on studying fine arts in high school, he shifted gears to graphic design, believing it would offer more career opportunities.

“I was always passionate about nature, and I tried to incorporate that into many of my graphic design projects,” he recalls.

Among his favourite projects were a book on the Hawaiian Goose, one of the world’s rarest geese, and a poster about the decline of the House Sparrow in the UK. After graduating, Mark landed his dream role as a graphic designer at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a job he had never anticipated securing so soon.

“I got to do creative work that had a meaningful impact on wildlife and environmental issues.” Being part of a multidisciplinary team, which included fundraisers, scientists, and advocates, was immensely rewarding.

The snowball effect

The growing pressure for financial stability eventually prompted him to transition to a design agency, where he gained valuable commercial experience working with brands like Canon and Unilever. A family move to Australia provided Mark with the opportunity to pivot again, this time working freelance before joining a digital product studio.

Over a decade, he honed his skills in tech, apps, and websites, particularly within financial services. Although his mind was engaged, his heart felt unfulfilled, and a career break followed. During this time, he volunteered for Rainforest Rescue, an experience that rekindled his passion for conservation.

“Volunteering with Rainforest Rescue brought everything back into focus for me,” Mark reflects. When a communications manager role opened up at the organisation, it felt like the perfect fit.

Since then, Mark has been working part-time at Rainforest Rescue while running his own communications consultancy, relishing projects that span from not-for-profits to collaborations with local businesses. “It feels like everything has come full circle. Life has a funny way of leading you where you need to be.”

Mark believes that his time in the corporate world had a lasting impact on his work in conservation. His transition from WWF to corporate design and back into the nonprofit world has helped him develop a unique skill set. Mark experienced the snowball effect, where he the further along his career he went, the more skills and experiences he collected to add to his portfolio.

“All those experiences – whether it was working with WWF, Canon, or large Australian businesses – came together,” he explains. “I was able to take the communications skills I learned in the corporate world and use them as a force for good in conservation.”

The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Northeast Australia is about 160 million years old, making it the oldest rainforest in the world!

Communicating for conservation

Effective communication is key to conservation work, especially when it comes to building support. “Conservation is often funded by grants and donors,” Mark says. “It’s essential to explain why the work matters, but we’re also competing for people’s attention.”

A prime example is Rainforest Rescue’s work in the Daintree Rainforest, the world’s oldest continuous rainforest. “The Daintree is about 160 million years old, and we aim to grow up to 150,000 new trees each year,” Mark explains.

“There are times when the plants grow so fast, you can almost hear them! Our CEO jokes that at this rate, the Daintree will be the only rainforest on Earth that’s growing rather than shrinking – what an elevator pitch for the organisation!”

Engaging the public through compelling stories is at the heart of Mark’s communications work. One of Rainforest Rescue’s most watched YouTube videos involved the Idiospermum, or “idiot fruit,” an ancient plant species whose quirky name draws people in.

Another email campaign was titled “Significant Seeds Smoko”,  cleverly using the Australian slang “smoko” (meaning a ten minute smoke break), to catch a reader’s attention and curiosity.

Like a smoko, the email took ten minutes to read, and created a fun and relatable message about the importance of certain seeds in rainforest restoration. “At the end of the day, it’s about engaging people in a way that resonates with them,” Mark says.

For Mark, crafting the right message is only part of the equation; how it’s delivered matters just as much. Recently, Rainforest Rescue celebrated its 25th anniversary, and Mark has been sending out fortnightly messages highlighting different aspects of the organisation’s journey.

“It’s a fun challenge,” he shares. “It’s all about finding fresh ways to tell these stories while keeping supporters engaged.”

The power of storytelling

Reflecting on his career, Mark points to several communication campaigns he’s particularly proud of. One that stands out is a campaign from his WWF days, aimed at highlighting the harmful effects of plastics on both human and animal health.

“We wanted to grab Parliament’s attention, so we delivered a skip full of chemicals – metaphorically, of course as the skip was full of WWF supporters. It was designed to show that we’re all contaminated by plastics.” The team built a theatrical prop skip and supporters walked it through Westminster, stopping traffic and making headlines.

Mark has also had the opportunity to work with local Aboriginal communities, an experience he describes as deeply humbling. “I attended my first clan meeting recently and the experience was far harder, tougher and more humbling than me going into a boardroom full of banking executives! I could see how the things we were discussed with these people were going to impact their lives directly.” 

Currently, Mark is working on a new project that involves Cassowary poop, a pitch that he was sure would be turned down but has now turned into an exciting collaboration with a Sydney zoo!

“It was one of those projects where I pitched it and I thought this is never going to land. And then I got an email saying they loved it!” Although he can’t reveal too much yet, he’s excited about the possibilities. “You never know where your ideas will take you.” he says.

Persistence is key

For those looking to break into communications, Mark emphasises the importance of persistence: if you have idea, see it through. “Sometimes ideas feel too hard to pull off, but you have to push through,” he advises.

“Whatever you’re working on even now, there’s an opportunity to do something new, something different. Innovate, rethink, whatever it might be, you can always push things.”

Networking is also crucial – whether it’s reaching out cold on LinkedIn or grabbing coffee with someone in the industry. “We’re all connected in some way and we need to build that network. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or reach out to people and be interested in what they are doing,” he advises.

“Questions unlock things and it is amazing what people will share. So many opportunities open up just by showing genuine interest and you never know where those connections will lead,” he says.

Mark’s final piece of advice? Don’t be afraid of failure. “A lot of what we do is trial and error,” he explains. “The key is to learn from each experience, adapt, and try again.”

Understanding people and what makes them tick is equally essential, Mark notes, especially in communications. “At the end of the day, we’re communicating with people, so understanding behavioural psychology plays a huge role. Understanding what makes people tick even if it’s not what makes you tick and being comfortable in doing things that you might not like because you are not necessarily your audience”.

As he looks toward the future, Mark reflects on the broader concept of “healing
country,” something he learned from a local Indigenous mentor. This idea embodies
assisting in the restoration of the harmony that existed between Indigenous peoples and the land – an ideal he aspires to support in his work.

“Before colonial times, Indigenous people didn’t need to ‘heal country’ because they lived in harmony with the land. “Healing” is something only needed when we have to repair damage, like to ourselves, each other and to the natural environment.”

These words stuck with Mark, reminding him of the interconnectedness between healing both people and the planet. This is what ultimately drives him forward in his career in communications within the conservation world.

For aspiring conservationists, the call is clear: embrace the twists and turns of your journey, for it is through these experiences that we truly discover our purpose and potential in the world of conservation.

Credit: Rainforest Rescue

Find out more:

Learn about Rainforest Rescue.

Connect with Mark on his website and LinkedIn.

The famous cats of Athens - how one organization is feeding 500 stray cats a day!

When you think of Greece, you may think of the crystal clear blue water, the delicious fresh good or the Parthenon.

Well…. I think of cats.

Opening Google Maps in Athens, in between searches for restaurants and historic sights, you’ll notice literal cats pinned as “attractions” in places around Athens.

Where are you, Titan?

One of the more famous cats is named Titan. He has a pin on Google Maps in the area where he is most sighted in Athens.

He’s known as Athen’s "chonkiest" tourist attraction with all reviews giving him a very respectable 5 stars and comments such as “he did not disappoint” and “an absolute unit”.

I had to find him.

There are no shortage of cats in Athens, or in Greece in general. Walking around central Athens in late October in a failed attempt to find Titan, I noticed little piles of cat food tucked away in street corners, behind plant pots and down side streets. I wondered, who is feeding these cats?!

After doing some searching online, I came across Nine Lives Greece – a volunteer organization that helps stray cats in Athens through feeding, vet care, neutering and adoption. I reached out to them and had the wonderful opportunity to join one of their volunteers, Eftihia, on a feeding route around central Athens one evening.

A special walk around Athens

Eftihia was waiting for me outside the Acropolis metro station with the biggest bag of cat food I ever seen! Eftihia lives in Athens where she lives, works and volunteers her spare time to Nine Lives Greece as a board member. She was the perfect person to tell me all about the charity, the stray cat situation in Athens and personally introduce me to some of the cats!

Nine Lives was created 17 years ago, back in 2006 and officially became a society in 2008. At the time, there was no other charity in Athens for the cats and no municipal or state programme for the strays.

We headed off on Eftihia’s usual feeding route which circled the main touristy area of Athens and the Acropolis. She told me it was impossible to estimate the number of stray cats in Athens, but it is definitely in the upper thousands!!

Animal Welfare in Greece

As we walked around and stopped at various spots to feed the cats, I asked her to tell me a little bit about the overall animal welfare situation in Greece.

“Unfortunately, standards of animal welfare in Greece overall are below par and the necessary legislation is not adequately implemented. Unlike other European member states, we do not closely regulate pet ownership or licensing and do not impose sanctions on neglect or abuse as often as we should, however in recent years this is improving.

I must say that it does depend a lot on the area, having grown up on a very touristic island myself, there is a massive difference between the areas in which expats live and the areas in which they don’t. Wherever there is a large expat population there are usually various charities and societies set up that care for the strays. There are still some anachronistic attitudes towards animals in Greece and lacklustre or even non-existent government involvement for decades.

Often, cats are considered working animals with the job to keep down the rodent population, so it means people don't feed them as there is the myth that they need to be hungry in order to hunt.  Also, Greek culture is still quite averse to neutering and spaying stray cats, and due to the mild climate and the abundance of food sources it's very easy for the stray cat population to grow exponentially. Some people consider neutering unnatural which leads to the inevitable frequent litters of unwanted kittens and then of course to diseases and malnutrition.  

“Thankfully, the resistance to neutering is gradually waning and the government seems to be more willing to help so hopefully in the future significant changes can be observed.”

The Story of Nine Lives

Eftihia told me some more about the founders of Nine Lives and the important role they play in the welfare of stray cats in Athens.

“All the founders have a strong background in animal welfare and a special connection and love for cats.

We help in a variety of ways, first and foremost with TNR (Trap Neuter Release) programmes, that we run throughout Athen. We are proud to say that last year we managed to neuter over 1,700 cats!! We also have numerous colonies that we feed, around 500 cats per day, with the help of our volunteers. We aim to rehome the cats that simply cannot survive on the streets, so we also run adoption programmes and of course we try to educate the locals as much as possible to build more compassionate attitudes towards the strays.

Nine Lives feeds 500 stray cats in central Athens every single day. 

The work we do is important, as if it wasn’t for Nine Lives and other charities around the city, the situation for the poor cats would be even more dire than it is currently.

The spay/neuter aspect of our work is particularly important so keep cat colonies healthy and stable.”

Eftihia got involved with Nine Lives first and foremost for her love of cats. It was so clear when walking around with her how much she adored these cats and how much these cats adored her. She knew each and every one of them by name and they would run to her from everywhere as soon as they heard her voice. It was amazing to see the bond and trust Eftihia had created with these cats.

“It was not enough for me to just feed the strays in my neighbourhood, I wanted to become more involved in a cause, and to make significant change. I began feeding with Nine Lives once a week and shortly became a member of the organisation’s board. It is great to be part of such a community that cares so much, is so involved with cat welfare and has a common goal. I give and take so much love from these cats and its a great feeling to know that I am doing as much as I possibly can to truly help these babies stay healthy and happy.”

How can tourists help?

Approximately 6.4 million tourists visit Athens every year!! Even in late October, and officially the “low season”, the crowds were still there! I  asked Eftihia about how tourists can help with the stray cats when they visit.

“Anyone visiting Greece is sure to run in to a stray cat. If they want to, they could always carry some cat food with them to feed any hungry strays they might encounter. However, as a general rule we would suggest not feeding stray cats when in a restaurant or other places, as it could irritate the owners or even other customers which could then result in the cats being harmed. But it is great idea to keep any leftover meat or fish and feed it to the stray cats by the nearest rubbish bin and providing them with water is also very important, especially throughout the summer as they tend to resort to drinking the water dripping from air conditioning units.

Something we do see is people giving milk to cats and kittens and this is not a good ideas as it gives them diarrhoea. I know that giving kittens milk is quite a common practice but is it a complete misconception that it is actually good for them!

Of course report any abuse or poisoning to the police and take any ill or injured cats to the nearest vet. It’s not always easy to do in a foreign country but on the internet you can easily find the contact to the local animal welfare group which can guide you.”

Finding Titan

At one of the final feeding spots, a large orange cat slowly made his way over to us. It was none other than the famous Titan!!! We had finally found him. Eftihia explained that he had actually lost some weight after being treated for a stomach fluid issue…which explained his past “chonky” reputation!

The future of cats in Athens

Finally, I asked Eftihia about her vision for future for the cats in Athens.

“Overall, we want to promote cat welfare through neutering, education and enhanced relations between humans and cats in Greece. In the future we would like Greece to become a cat-friendly country where humans treat cats with justice and respect.”

A big thank you to Eftihia for taking the time to bring me around Athens to feed the cats and tell me more about Nine Lives – a truly wonderful charity making a really big impact in Greece!!

 Find out more!

To find out more about Nine Lives Greece and to give a donation to help these cats, see the links below:

·      Visit the Nine Lives website.

·      Donate to Nine Lives here. 100% of funds go straight to the cats and their wonderful programmes.

·      Follow Nine Lives on on social media (Instagram).

·      Volunteer if you are visiting Athens or join Eftihia or one of the other lovely charity members for a very unique walking tour around Athens (with lots of cat interaction guaranteed!).

Lions & Football - Saving Lion Strongholds in Cameroon

I had the absolute privilege to spend some time with Dr Kamgang and ask him some questions about his amazing work on behalf of Conservation Careers. I wanted to share his passionate story about his working with lions in the Bénoué ecosystem.

First, check out this video below with Serge talking about his word. It’s narrated by none other than DAVID ATTENBOROUGH!

The Bénoué ecosystem in northern Cameroon is the hotspot for lions in West and Central Africa. The huge area includes three national parks -- Faro, Bénoué and Bouba-Ndjidda. However only 250 lions remain across the vast 30,000 km² landscape which also has and 32 hunting zones!

The region has faced severe threats from habitat loss and poaching over the years. More recently, increased human migration to the area means an increasing number of livestock, illegal mining and habitat degradation within the ecosystem. This has caused human-wildlife conflict as lions encounter local herders and kill their animals.

Dr Serge Alexis Kamgang has dedicated his life to solving these issues and protecting the last remaining stronghold of lions in the Bénoué ecosystem, whilst promoting a coexistence with the local community. He is a recipient of one of this year’s Whitley Awards grants for his work through BEDD (Biodiversity, Environment and Sustainable Development www.bioedd.org), an NGO (supporting the government in biodiversity conservation in Cameroon) and the only lion conservation programme in the region.

Training lion guards.
Credit: WFN

How a passion for lions began

Dr Serge Kamgang grew up in Western Cameroon in a small village called Banka, surrounded by savannah ecosystem and mountains.

“Going to school, I would pass through landscapes where I would see wildlife such as antelope and Colobus Monkey. After I went to university and came back, I noticed that species were disappearing, and I started asking myself what happened to those animals and why were their habitats being destroyed?”.

With a passion to learn more about wildlife ignited, Serge chose to study conservation in university and took a role with primates, specifically chimpanzee and gorilla. After finishing a postgraduate degree in Oxford (2016), he continued working for Garoua Wildlife College and the National Parks Services in the Bénoué ecosystem. It was during this time that he discovered many threats facing lions including metal snares on their neck, prey depletion, habitat degradation and cattle encroachment. Serge was motivated to do something about it and set about forming his NGO, BEDD.

Serge and partners conducted the first lion survey in the area in 2015. The results showed that there were only 250 lions left in the Bénoué ecosystem due to habitat loss, poaching and a decline in prey. Added to this, an increase in lions feeding on cattle was causing conflict with local communities around Mbam and Kim region. To find solutions, Serge worked with the national parks to show communities how to protect their cattle against lions, for example by using fences known as Mobile Boma.

Working with the local community.
Credit: WFN

In 2021, Serge and BEDD received funding from National Geographic Society to continue to monitor the lion population in the ecosystem. “It’s a very large complex area that is about 30,000km2 and comprises three national parks and 32 hunting zones. Lions are moving around all these different parts and habitats. The area also has large local human populations, and these communities rely entirely on the biodiversity of the ecosystem.”

Promoting coexistence between lions and people and building trust with local communities

The human population in the area is growing and now exceeds 25,000 people. This means there are 100 times more people than lions and building a strong coexistence between them is a key priority.

Serge believes an integrated approach based on community is essential to conserving lions in the area, working with stakeholders and combining local knowledge with technology to mitigate the rising tensions. Serge, along with his team, work with these communities to train local people on how to protect cattle, implement nature-based solutions and to conserve biodiversity to improve the livelihood of communities.

Involving youth, educating and creating awareness about lions.
Credit: WFN

“Working with communities is very important because they have traditional ways to monitor biodiversity and wildlife. They have so much knowledge about species and where these animals are found. They know the land, the history and the animals better than any of us. Most of the time, a top-down approach for conservation does not work and we know that if we involve the community from the beginning, then we can guarantee the sustainability of a project by training the community so that when we leave, they can manage the wildlife themselves.”

Serge and his team will gather vital data on lion and prey populations using camera traps, local ecological knowledge and satellite collars. Community-based techniques are a vital part of Serge’s work to strengthen the capacity of park authorities through the training of Lion Guards. This involves training young local people who live in the villages to work with national park staff to monitor lion populations. They do this by using smartphones and photographs of different animal tracks so that the lion guards can compare tracks they see on the ground and match it to a lion track. This data is then uploaded on to a map to show all the areas where lions are present and to warn local communities and cattle herders if lions are in the area so that the area can be avoided.

“Our approach and strategy work well because we don’t have time to be in the field all the time. By training local people who live in the area, they can collect the data for us. We also provide them with a monthly salary, motorbike and all the equipment they will need to collect the data for us such as GPS, numeric cameras and mobile phones.”

A big part of the programme is building awareness through educational campaigns in the local communities to increase understanding about lion conservation. The lion

guards also have a role in their communities to spread awareness of the work they are doing. Serge’s programme will improve the knowledge of 1,500 stakeholders – including park staff, local government, and conservationists – on the importance, status and distribution of lions and their prey in the area to inform future management of the species.

Looking to the future, Serge envisions a world where the communities are intertwined with environment and natural resources. With his Whitley Award, Serge plans to:

1. Train 45 park guards and 6 community lion guards, who work together to monitor lion and cattle movements, and mitigate human-lion conflict and other pressures.

2. Improve the knowledge of 1,500 stakeholders on the status and distribution of lion and their prey in the Bénoué Ecosystem to inform future management.

3. Raise awareness of lion conservation among 30% of the local population through educational campaigns.

Dr Serge Kamgang
Credit: WFN

Inspiring the youth as the next generation of conservationists

As a lecturer and educator in the region, Serge not only recognises the importance of inspiring young people but actively includes them in his work by being a mentor for students and giving them opportunities to gain work experience to develop their skills in conservation.

“The advice I always give to young people is to work with conviction. Be honest and work hard and use that conviction in the best way to achieve something, improve its environment and do everything positively impactful.”

Gaining trust, respect and developing strong relationships with leaders of local communities are also important for Serge as it allows him to create more strategies for conservation. He is a key contact for the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, advising on decisions making about lion conservation in Cameroon.

Using football to bring attention to lions

Lions are the national animal of Cameroon and the national football team are called the Indomitable Lions. But many people in the country, including the football players, have never seen a lion in the wild!

Cameroon’s national football team - the Indomitable Lions

Serge invited the men and women’s national football teams to come to the northern part of Cameroon to visit the lions in the national parks of the Bénoué ecosystem and to inspire them to conserve the species for which their team are named after.

“By doing this, we increased the visibility of lions in Cameroon and improved our ecosystem prospects. It is also a great opportunity to develop a sustainable financing mechanism for protected area management.”

The importance of involving women in the conservation conversation

Serge explained that more could be done in the area to promote women in decision-making.

“We are now trying to involve a gender approach to include women by helping to create associations and increase leadership so that women have a voice when we are developing approaches for sustainable solutions to biodiversity management in the area. That’s a big goal for us.”

Proudest moments

“I think recently being awarded a Whitley Award was a huge achievement for me! It’s helping me gain a profile, not only in Cameroon but internationally. It’s given me great opportunities, such as speaking to you! Now more people know about our work, and it will help me with people behind me do more. It’s given me the opportunity to continue our conservation projects in northern Cameroon and to conserve lions – for that I am very thankful. I’m so happy to be doing what I am doing.

Serge presenting in London as a winner of the Whitley Awards, known as the “Green Oscars”.
Credit: WFN

Find out more

Website:
www.bioedd.org

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/BiodiversityEnvironnementSustainableDevelopement/ Find out more about Serge’s future plans and the Whitley’s Awards here.