Zimbabwe National Lion Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2020-2025).

The Zimbabwe National Lion Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2020-2025) has as immediate objective or purpose to secure and where possible, restore as many viable free ranging lion populations as possible in Zimbabwe, whilst mitigating their negative impacts and enhancing their value for the benefit of people through sustainable use. In order to meet these goals the following five component and strategic objectives have been adopted as the primary focus for strategic action in achieving the immediate and long-term (Lions conserved and managed sustainably for their aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and the socio-economic development of Zimbabwe) conservation of lions in Zimbabwe: 1. Protection and Law enforcement to ensure the effective security of all lion populations in Zimbabwe. Actions include: ensure full compliance with hunting regulations, guidelines and quotas set; for each key population establish a highly trained rapid response anti-poaching unit; Improve investigation and prosecution of crimes; set up and maintain national and local intelligence databases; enhance international collaboration and community involvement; etc. 2. Biological monitoring and management of lions to achieve viable populations that are within upper and lower acceptable limits to change in numbers and distribution. Actions include: Monitor trends in all lion populations; Monitor trophy quality; Reporting to international monitoring systems; 3. Implementing social, economic and cultural strategies to enhance the contribution of lions to rural livelihoods, protected area management and national development. Activities include: Provide incentives and promote partnerships and joint venture opportunities to strengthen lion conservation, including across land use boundaries; explore additional ethical lion based tourism and sustainable utilization opportunities; Implement effective techniques and land use strategies, and protocols to mitigate human-lion conflict such as integrated land use planning education and awareness, accountable incident reporting, data collection and analysis, community driven tactical interventions, social security, tolerance funds, payments for Ecosystem Services. 4. Building conservation capacity and ensuring that sufficient and appropriately trained personnel, equipment, infrastructure and finances are mobilised, available and used efficiently and effectively to lion conservation. Activities include: Secure funding; establish sustainable funding program; strengthen research capacity; establish training and in-service retraining of personnel in law enforcement 5. Ensuring coordination, collaboration and programme management with local, and international stakeholders to implement these strategic objectives. Activities include: Establish a national lion conservation & management steering/implementing committee;Strengthen coordination between the hunting industry and the lion conservation strategy and action plan and neighbouring states;