What We Do

The African Predator Conservation Research Organization consists of a diverse group of researchers, primarily from the fields of veterinary medicine and genetics focusing on African carnivores; lions, spotted hyena, cheetah, African wild dog, leopard and both black-backed and side-striped jackal.

The Red List, which is the IUCN’s document listing all animals who’s ongoing existences is in question, has stated there is roughly a decline of over 30% of the lion population in the last 20 years. In the same period of time the leopard population is roughly 40% less and the African wild dog is endangered with estimates around 3000 individuals.

Due to the severe decrease in the numbers of these magnificent animals and their intertwined lives and habitats, APCRO is taking a pan-African, multi-species, holistic approach to their mutual conservation and research.

APCRO, Inc. is determined to save these animals by examining the role of:

  • disease
  • parasitism
  • genetics
  • nutrition
  • reproductive potential
  • pathology
APCRO is striving to provide specific scientific information to the wildlife and conservation community to better understand the problems and thus, ultimately the solutions to best conserve these predators. This is only possible with the efforts of groups such as APCRO and your support.

 

Please contact us directly if you are interested in obtaining a copy of our comprehensive Business Plan.  APCRO, Inc. has gone to great lengths to articulate and map our specific future to allow strong supporters to measure our growth and direction.  This is conveniently packaged in a concise and complete, “Map of APCRO’s future”.

APCRO’S Objectives

The overall objective of APCRO is to undertake broad based, multidisciplinary research on the carnivores of Africa. The goal of the research is to understand the true ecology of the carnivores and make this information easily available to all stakeholders in this international, highly-collaborative effort. Too much research produces valuable and informative results but these results are invariably not accessible to local and regional interests to enable the new results to be incorporated into local management decisions.These objectives will be achieved through an implementation program designed to integrate multiple projects and sections that may have diverse specific goals, but overall investigations will lead to the fulfillment of the Mission Statement of APCRO, the objectives of the Program and the specific individual goals of the projects. All are intimately tied to one another and crucial to the ongoing management, education, local empowerment and capacity building of the in-country people. APCRO believes this will make our research relevant and meaningful in Africa.

APCRO’s Policy for Collaboration

APCRO is dedicated to the gathering of scientific information that will lead to the better management and increased likelihood for the survival of Africa’s large carnivores. APCRO will endeavor to establish and maintain professional relationships with like minded people and organizations of a wide variety of backgrounds, disciplines, and purposes as long as they are of a similar mindset toward the ultimate goal and the collaboration is mutually beneficial and strives to attain the same goal of furthering the conservation of these free-ranging carnivores. APCRO is very aware these organizations and individuals may have extremely divergent methodology and criteria, but that is an acceptable and normal occurrence in such a dynamic and rapidly evolving assemblage of concerned conservationists.

APCRO’s Policy toward Translocation of Individual Animals

APCRO firmly supports the planned translocation of individual animals based on established scientific criteria that allows for the reasonable chance for an individual’s survival with minimum impact on the local population in the proposed transfer area.

APCRO supports the use of quick field testing of individuals to assure they are healthy prior to movement and the application of either tracking collars or assigned observers to document the success or failure of the move.

APCRO’s Policy on the Use of Tracking Collars

APCRO has a policy of judicious use of tracking collars in multiple areas of the research and believes their use can be very beneficial for our research, with minimal harm to the individual animals or their group. APCRO will collar the minimum number of animals necessary to achieve the scientifically valid research goal. All collars will be retrieved at the end of the study. This is assured as APCRO only purchases collars that have a programmable automatic release mechanism on them. Despite this feature, APCRO designs all collars to be removed manually by the team prior to the programmed release date. Not only does this assure the collar will be removed but also the animal will be able to be sampled prior to end of the project.

Further, APCRO understands the requirements of other entities needs in not allowing collaring, due to the concerns of reducing the intrinsic tourist value of the predators which underlies the vast amounts of the conservation work. This being said, APCRO is able to do most of its studies without the use of collars and APCRO does not believe in collar use unless they a vital component for gaining the desired information.

©2013 APCRO

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