Botswana Predator Conservation Trust

Description

The Botswana Predator Conservation Trust is a research organization that studies large carnivores in Botswana and works to help people and wildlife coexist, now operating under the name Wild Entrust.

It began in 1989 as the Botswana Wild Dog Research Project and later expanded to cover all large carnivore species in the country. Its Predator Conservation program carries out applied research on carnivores, including projects on wild dog movements and chemical repellents that keep predators away from livestock. Most of its research takes place in the Okavango Delta, a wetland of global importance in northern Botswana.

Beyond research, its Coaching Conservation program uses play based learning to build children’s empathy for animals and the natural world. Its Community Coexistence program invests in local communities through enterprise development, food security and sustainable livelihoods to reduce conflict between people and wildlife. The Government of Botswana has entrusted the organization with leading conservation and research initiatives for large carnivores in the country’s north.

The organization was founded by JW McNutt and Lesley McNutt and has worked in Botswana for over 35 years.