Cheetah queen chairs large carnivore protectors
Respected international cheetah expert, Dr Laurie Marker (fourth from left) has been elected the new chairperson of the Large Carnivore Management Association of Namibia. She was captured, together with her colleagues at a recent presentation by Dr Fabiano Ezequiel at the Namibian Scientific Society.
Dr Marker is the founder and director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, based in the Otjiwarongo district while Dr van Vuuren is a partner at Na’ankuse, the rehabilitation centre for wild animals north-east of Windhoek.
Dr Marker was elected at the association’s Annual General Meeting, held at the offices of the Namibia Nature Foundation earlier in November
The LCMAN is a not-for-profit association comprising individuals and organisations that promote and support the long-term conservation of healthy populations of free-ranging large carnivores, including lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, laughing and brown hyena. Announcing Dr Marker’s election, the association said “Given that over 80% of Namibia is farmland, a major focus of the LCMAN is to provide farmers with practical advice to assist in reducing livestock predation by these species, and thereby to promote their co-existence.”
She said of her appointment as Chairperson: “I am honoured to accept the challenging position which involves the coordination of a diverse group of stakeholders. The association aims to help reduce conflict while increasing recognition of the value of predators within the Namibian ecosystems.”
The coordinator of the LCMAN, Ms Katie Oxenham, of the Namibia Nature Foundation said she looked forward to working with Dr Marker to assist in achieving positive outcomes for large carnivores, which are urgently needed to ensure their long-term conservation.
At every LCMAN meeting, a member is asked to give a presentation on their recent work. At the AGM, Dr Fabiano Ezequiel, Quantative Scientist from the Cheetah Conservation Fund, presented the results of a 10-year study on the use of remote camera traps to understand the population dynamics of cheetahs and other large carnivores. He repeated his presentation at a well-attended public talk hosted by the Namibian Scientific Society on Monday, 10 November.
Founded in 1987, the primary aims of the Namibia Nature Foundation are to promote sustainable development, the conservation of biological diversity and natural ecosystems, and the wise and ethical use of natural resources for the benefit of all Namibians, both present and future.
