From Fear to Protection: Chuilbong Communities Unite for Lions
On 19 October 2026, a community meeting in Chuilbong village, Ayod County, turned the killing of a lion into a call for change. Through support of Lion Recovery Fund (LRF), forty-eight community members, including 13 women, gathered to discuss human–lion conflict and how to prevent further losses. The gathering brought together traditional chiefs, local authorities, teachers and armed youths, placing responsibility for coexistence in the hands of people whose decisions shape daily life in the area.
At the centre of the discussions was the killing of a five-year-old female lion at Paguom village on 22 September 2026. Her death raised difficult questions about fear, community responses to wildlife and the future of lions living alongside people. For the Agency for Conservation and Development (ACD), the meeting provided an opportunity to support a community response that connects wildlife protection with education and local leadership.
The discussion focused on understanding the reasons behind human–lion conflict and the circumstances that lead people to kill lions. Fear emerged as a concern addressed by the community’s decisions. Understanding that fear is essential: conservation messages must speak to people’s concerns while helping them avoid actions that unnecessarily endanger wildlife. The meeting opened space for these issues to be discussed collectively, rather than leaving individuals to respond alone.
A clear commitment followed. Members agreed that anyone who kills a lion out of fear should face a community penalty, with particular emphasis on protecting female lions. Under the agreement, killing a female lion would require compensation of 10 cows, while killing a male lion would require seven cows. These were community-agreed measures intended to discourage further killings and establish accountability for the loss of wildlife.
Traditional chiefs were assigned responsibility for enforcing the agreement from 20 October 2026 onward. Their role places customary leadership at the centre of the protection effort. By accepting this responsibility, chiefs can help translate the meeting’s decisions into messages that reach households and influence behaviour beyond the gathering itself.
Education will form another major part of the response. Teachers were tasked with taking lion protection messages into all 11 schools in the area. The planned outreach aims to reach at least 3,000 schoolchildren and 40 teachers, with messages extending to an estimated 10,000 parents and guardians. Schools offer a valuable connection between conservation discussions and family life, allowing children and teachers to carry the conversation into their homes.
Women’s participation also gave the meeting an important community dimension. The presence of 13 women helped broaden a discussion involving traditional leadership, public authorities, education and armed youths. Building coexistence requires participation across these groups because the consequences of conflict, and the responsibilities for preventing it, extend throughout the community.
The meeting also established a shared outreach responsibility for chiefs, ACD, Community Wildlife Ambassadors (CWAs), Community Peace Advocates (CPAs) and local authorities. Together, they committed to an annual public rally programme using gathering places such as schools, churches and food ration distribution centres. These venues can bring lion protection messages to people who may have limited opportunities to attend dedicated conservation meetings.
Chuilbong is the beginning of a wider process. ACD intends to hold meetings, discussions and workshops with at least 100 community members across five villages. Participation is expected to surpass that minimum as the initiative expands. Each gathering offers an opportunity to listen to local concerns, explain protection commitments and build wider support for preventing human–lion conflict.
The female lion killed at Paguom cannot be brought back. However, the response in Chuilbong offers hope that her death can prompt lasting changes in how communities respond to lions. The next measure of success will be how consistently the agreement is applied, how widely its messages are understood and whether people and lions can share the landscape with greater safety.