Nearly two decades ago, very few lions were roaming the lands surrounding Amboseli National Park. Most roamed alone. But there was one pride bold enough to travel in a larger group of up to eight individuals. They primarily resided in the Park but would travel out of the protected area and onto the Maasai lands…
By Phillip J Briggs and Stephanie Dolrenry Deep in the the Amboseli ecosystem, where the Lion Guardians are based, there is a certain mystical rocky outcrop that draws many to it. Legend has it that this rock formation has deep wisdom. Its human neighbors refer to it as “Noonkiyiaa” meaning “she of elongated earlobes” in…
Two sub-adult male lions arrived in Selenkay Conservancy some years ago. They had dispersed from a pride in a part of the Chyulu Hills called Olosira (southern Kenya). In Selenkay, they found a resident male lion and his four sub-adult male sons. The two new arrivals, who Lion Guardians later named Gurme and Lormesasu, settled…
Last year, our Program Manager Luke Maamai successfully completed his Master’s thesis in Conservation Biology at University of Kent. Below, Luke shares some main findings from his research, which offers new hope for lions in our ecosystem, and guidance for how we can continue to enable coexistence in a changing landscape. In order to understand…
Today, on World Lion Day, we are honoring a legend among lions. Loonkito is 16 and a half years old – a record for the Amboseli ecosystem and one of the oldest known African lions in the wild. Check out his story below in a new video by our Lion Monitoring Manager Philip Briggs. But…
Coronavirus has swept the planet and impacted nearly every human activity on Earth; conservation in general – and Lion Guardians specifically – is no exception. It is imperative that we continue our work, as communities and lions need our help more than ever, but it is also critical that we ensure the safety of our…
Following our successful event in August, we recently hosted a second community engagement activity at a local primary school. More than fifty children gathered together with several community members and representatives from the Lion Guardians team for an event filled with fun and excitement! Our first goal was to celebrate the benefits of community-driven conservation…
For over a hundred days, the Lion Guardians phone has been abuzz with messages and the air has been filled with exciting conversations about lions – even more so than usual! That’s because Lion Guardians has been involved in a key conservation effort currently underway across Kenya, the National Lion Census. This project has been…
African wildlife and herders have a complex – and sometimes strained – relationship. But at Lion Guardians, we’ve always believed that pastoralism and conservation are not merely compatible, they can actually be beneficial to each other. A fascinating new study supports this point of view, suggesting that wildlife in Africa may actually owe some of…
Earlier this year, Big Life Foundation – with support from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust – took over the management of Kimana Sanctuary, and we were excited to report that a lion was beginning to use the protected area and nearby wildlife corridors. Naturally, we were intrigued to find out more! When Big Life initially called upon…