wisdom
Balancing customs and conservation In 2013, Panthera launched the Furs for Life project. Through this initiative, it produces high- quality, affordable faux leopard furs – known as Heritage Furs – that honour the Shembe’s traditions while presenting an alternative to the use of real fur. To make them, authentic leopard furs were photographed and digitised to replicate their distinctive patterns, then recreated using materials designed to both look and feel natural. Genuine leopard furs typically only last a decade, which also contributes to poaching remaining a continuing concern. By contrast, Heritage Furs are far more durable, particularly when subjected to rain, making them a highly sustainable alternative. Not only do they help save the lives of countless leopards each year, but they also create jobs and a reliable source of income for tailors and seamstresses across the region, who craft Heritage Furs and sell them at ceremonial gatherings.
A pan-African roadmap Support from Shembe leaders is critical.
Through their recognition of the consequences that leopard depopulation poses, Heritage Furs have continued to gain traction amongst the church’s members. To date, over 18,500 furs have been distributed to them, cutting real-fur demand by roughly 50%. Following the success of Furs for Life, Panthera partnered with the Barotse Royal Establishment of the Lozi people in 2019 to launch Furs for Life in Zambia, an expansion of the initiative. So far, 1350 of Heritage Furs have been distributed here with latest survey showing that over 80% of followers used the Heritage Furs in the last ceremony. Projects like these show that protecting wildlife doesn’t have to come at the cost of culture, but can evolve alongside it, sustaining both for generations to come. They are a reminder that creativity and community engagement are not just complementary to conservation. They’re essential to its success.
Previous spread Across Africa, cultures are increasingly recognising the importance of protecting leopards. Right Nature rests in a delicate balance that we have the power to preserve.
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