The leading cause of death for wild lions is retaliatory killings stemming from livestock predation. With the lion population hovering around 20,000, we must do all we can to reduce this conflict.

To succeed, local communities must see and experience the benefits of wildlife conservation.

Maono’s approach to this critical conservation issue is to create educational media programs targeted directly at rural communities that interact with lions and other large animals on a daily basis.

We feature successful, proven solutions and innovative approaches that incentivize local communities through the benefits of better livestock protection, increased income through reduced livestock deaths, more revenue from tourism, school improvements, livestock veterinary care, and other community-based initiatives.

Our programs spread workable knowledge that lights the path towards reduced human/wildlife conflict and improved lives for local communities.

Maono strongly believes the future of African wildlife conservation lies in the hands of young, passionate African communicators, activists, and content creators.

Our founder, Andrew Wegst, has dedicated a significant portion of his career to teaching, training, and mentoring future storytellers. From university classes to individual mentorships to even providing day-long seminars for journalists in Uganda, Andrew is committed to sharing his experiences and knowledge whenever he can.

In keeping with our mission, Andrew has established the Maono mentorship program. During the production of our educational programs, we hire a young creator to accompany us in the field. They are paid and work alongside us during our typical 12-hour days. These mentees become an essential part of our work, and they get a week of intense hands-on experience. They receive continued support from Maono long after our departure.

This engagement helps enable Africans to tell African conservation stories. Our long-term goal is to expand our training and provide a platform for sharing local stories anywhere. Maono supports these young creators in becoming the leading voices for the future of African wildlife and community-based conservation.

Maono Conservation highlights and promotes the small but effective actions ordinary people can take to become better stewards of their natural resources.

Our programs feature relatable characters in realistic situations to help people see that change on a local level is not only possible but doable and beneficial. The conservation innovations we showcase present messages that reinforce the idea that the natural environment and everything that lives within it can thrive when people take small individual actions for the better.

By reaching schools, park rangers, local villages, community centers, religious leaders, tourism organizations, government wildlife authorities, and law enforcement personnel, Maono Conservation encourages sustainable co-existence in new and exciting ways and demonstrates the direct benefits of conservation.

And by encouraging the next generation, we are laying the foundation for sustained interest in conservation for decades to come.