News

South African National Parks (SANParks) launched a new lion survey in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park through a partnership with Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT). The survey will continue until October 2026 and aims to improve understanding of the park’s lion population, including the number of lions, where they occur and how they move across the landscape.

Lions are an important part of the Kgalagadi ecosystem, and reliable information about the population is essential to support informed conservation and management decisions.

Field teams will work across the different sections of the park, using vehicle-based surveys and camera traps to collect information on lions.

Visitors to the Kgalagadi Transfontier Park might encounter SANParks and EWT research vehicles displaying official branding while the survey is underway.

As part of the survey, researchers occasionally stop near lions to photograph their whisker spot patterns. Each lion has a unique pattern of whisker spots, which allows researchers to identify individual animals and build a more accurate picture of the population.

Visitors are urged to provide research teams and survey vehicles sufficient space by maintaining a respectful distance from lions and other wildlife. It is imperative to avoid crowding animals or research vehicles, and to always follow the instructions of SANParks staff and researchers.

The information gathered during the survey will contribute to the long-term management and conservation of lions in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

By improving our understanding of the park’s lion population and its movements, SANParks and its partners can make informed decisions that support the continued conservation of lions and the wider Kgalagadi ecosystem.