Lion Monitoring and Conservation in Niassa Special Reserve

As part of ongoing lion conservation efforts in the Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique Wildlife Alliance (MWA)'s veterinary team, currently deployed in Niassa Province, carried out two collaring interventions in partnership with the Niassa Carnivore Project.

An adult lioness was successfully darted and fitted with a satellite collar, contributing to the long-term monitoring of lion movements and population dynamics within the reserve.

A second adult female lioness was also darted to replace a satellite collar that had ceased transmitting, ensuring the continuity of valuable monitoring data that supports conservation and management decisions across the landscape.

Alongside these interventions, routine lion monitoring activities continue to provide critical information on the status and wellbeing of individual animals. During field operations an adult lioness was observed suffering from severe locomotor impairment, moving only with her forelimbs while dragging her hindlimbs.

Following a thorough assessment, the team determined that the animal's condition was irreversible and that her welfare was severely compromised. A humane euthanasia was therefore carried out in accordance with veterinary and wildlife management protocols.

These interventions highlight the diverse role of wildlife veterinarians in modern conservation, supporting research, monitoring populations, responding to welfare concerns, and generating the information needed to protect large carnivores across one of Africa's most important wilderness landscapes.