The Mihingo Conservation & Community Development Fund was set up by Ralph as a separate non-profit organisation with the aim of preserving the wildlife outside the Park and reducing human-wildlife conflict. During the building of the lodge an entire clan of spotted hyenas were poisoned in the Park highlighting the need for a project focusing on the communities and the wildlife living beyond its borders. To date MCCDF has focused on a compensation programme for livestock killed by Park predators, channelled donations of equipment to two local primary schools, started a sponsorship scheme for students to secondary school and we have begun identifying leopards in the area. Since we started the project we have compensated for hundreds of kills and have seen many leopard cubs grow up and the hyenas on our side of the park have increased in number, from the occasional two to four hyenas to a regular twenty at the time of writing. To learn more about MCCDF or to get involved in its projects please take a look at our website on the following link: