Savanna Wildlife Welfare and Land Use Change

African and Asian savannas support iconic megafauna facing severe welfare pressures from poaching, habitat conversion, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change.

Key Facts

African savannas support 79 species of large mammal - the richest large-mammal assemblage on Earth
Elephant populations declined by 30% across Africa between 2007 and 2014 due to poaching
Lion populations have fallen from 200,000 in the 1970s to around 25,000 today
Human-wildlife conflict kills thousands of large mammals annually and creates significant suffering on both sides
Savanna conversion to agriculture is the primary long-term threat to wildlife habitat
Climate change is altering dry-wet season timing, affecting breeding success and food availability

Welfare Considerations

Savanna wildlife welfare encompasses some of the most recognised and charismatic animals on Earth, yet their welfare is under severe threat. Poached elephants die slowly from gunshot wounds; snared animals suffer for days before death or rescue. Even where direct killing is absent, animals in fragmented, fenced reserves face food competition, stress from human presence, and inability to complete natural migration routes. Human-wildlife conflict creates suffering on both sides: farmers losing livestock experience real economic hardship that drives retaliatory killing, while the animals killed (lions, hyenas, wild dogs) suffer painful deaths. Anti-poaching efforts, community-based conservation, and corridor establishment all reduce welfare harms.

What You Can Do

Support anti-poaching organisations with transparency and accountability (e.g. Space for Giants, AWF)
Avoid products made from wildlife (ivory, rhino horn, bush meat)
Choose safari tourism operators that contribute to community conservation programmes
Advocate for wildlife corridor policies that allow seasonal migration
Support community-based conservation that gives local communities economic incentives to protect wildlife