Seif Hamisi: Why I want to bring lions back to my village

Why I want to bring lions back to my village

As a child in rural Kenya, conservationist Seif Hamisi fell asleep to the sound of lions outside his village. Today, the lions are gone, mirroring a continent-wide trend: African wildlife populations have plummeted in recent decades, despite billions spent to protect nature. Drawing on examples of successful conservation efforts from the grasslands of South Africa to the woodlands of Kenya, he shows how we've been attempting to solve the wrong problem — and makes the case that conservation works best when it makes economic sense.

Wildlife populations across Africa have plummeted by three quarters in just five decades, even as billions have been spent on conservation. Converting wild lands to farms and settlements has pushed both animals and people into crisis. Real hope emerges only when conservation creates income for those living closest to nature, transforming nature from something to protect into something to invest in. When local families benefit directly, ecosystems recover and communities thrive together.

Protecting Wildlife Thrives When Conservation Pays Local Communities

Conservation efforts in Africa have poured in billions, yet wildlife populations have dropped by three quarters in fifty years. In places like rural Kenya, once home to nightly lion roars, animals have vanished as economic pressures forced land into farming and settlements. True progress emerges when protecting nature also provides reliable income for local families, turning conservation from a sacrifice into an investment. Across Africa, communities are restoring habitats and reviving wildlife by embracing business models that link ecological health to economic opportunity.