Luwire and WildCRU to form a Long Term Partnership

Mozambique’s Luwire Wildlife Conservancy (www.luwire.org ) and Oxford University’s WildCRU (www.wildcru.org ) are pleased to announce the formation of a long term partnership focused on research into Luwire’s biodiversity and communities. The partnership will also develop a long term conservation framework for Luwire. WildCRU will establish a base camp at Luwire and a series of WildCRU scientists will launch long term specialised research projects focused on defined fauna and flora and community issues. The partnership will launch pending formally approval from ANAC, Mozambique’s conservation authority (www.anac.gov.mz/en/ ) . As part of this initiative, David Macdonald, Founder of WildCRU, will join Luwire’s Board.

Paul Buckley, Chairman of Luwire, commented: ‘Luwire has been transformed over the last few years. The partnership with WildCRU initiates an exciting next chapter in Luwire’s development as a leading global conservation asset. I am particularly excited to see what new species WildCRU’s scientists will uncover. Further, the implementation of a scientifically developed conservation framework is long overdue’.

David Macdonald, Founder of WildCRU commented: The opportunities for conservation in Africa are as great as the urgency for the need for it, and Luwire is at the forefront on both counts. Under the remarkable and energetic Chairmanship of Paul Buckley, Luwire aspires to the best science to underpin the greatest conservation delivery. I am grateful for the opportunity to nurture this evidence-based partnership

About Luwire and WildCRU

The Luwire Wildlife Conservancy (‘Luwire’) is located in Northern Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve. It encompasses − at 4,550 km² − one of Africa’s largest private conservation concessions, but has hitherto been little explored scientifically. Luwire’s communities encompass approximately 5,000 people across seven villages and live in daily contact with local wildlife. Their social and economic development and attitudes towards wildlife are little known but highly relevant to any plan for conservation.

Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) is part of the Department of Zoology. It has a mission to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems through original scientific research. Its approach is empirical, interdisciplinary and collaborative, seeking to include all four elements of a “Conservation Quartet”, encompassing Research to understand and address the problem; Education to explain it; Community involvement to ensure participation and acceptance; Implementation of long-term solutions.

Paul Buckley may be reached on pbuckley@luwire.org . David Macdonald may be reached at david.macdonald@zoo.ox.ac.uk

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