Laurie Marker – LCMAN Chairperson
Namibia | Living with the ovaHimba by Alegra Ally
November 26, 2014Namibia | SRT responds to Rhino Poaching Crisis
November 27, 2014Dr Laurie Marker, of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, has taken over from Dr Rudie van Vuuren as Chairperson of the Large Carnivore Management Association of Namibia (LCMAN).
Dr Marker was elected at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the offices of the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) in November 2014.
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 and hyena, in Namibia.
Dr Laurie Marker – CCF
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.
Dr Marker 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 NNF, 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.
