It was late in the evening in our camp in Selenkei when we decided to respond to a Lion Guardian report. Several exciting things happened within a short span of time. First we found a herd of about 30 elephants which in itself is something unusual. The elephants were clearly uneasy with us being near, probably as…
The on-going human-wildlife conflict in Amboseli moved a notch higher yesterday with a complete show of bravado never seen in the recent past. Monday in the middle of the night a lioness, Amyjane, had jumped into a boma adjacent to the park, killed a donkey and cow, and was speared in the front left leg. The morans responsible for the spearing…
The killing spree in Amboseli necessitated by political tensions between Kenya Wildlife Service and political leaders had a devastating effect to both wildlife and the community. Community leaders met and took stock of the killings within all of the Group Ranches. The results were shocking, but would have been worse were it not for the…
Human-wildlife conflict in any pastoralist environment is inevitable and has existed since time immemorial therefore Amboseli ecosystem is no exception. The negotiations leading to the creation of the Amboseli National Park in the early 1970’s were not smooth and due to the political tensions and resulting hunting, the rhino population was decimated. In the early 1990’s, populations…
The third annual Lion Guardian Games were held on the expansive plains of Oldoinyo-Wuas among the foothills of the Chyulu range. Lion Guardians were looking forward to this day with great anticipation and excitement and they were not disappointed. True to its nature, the games lived up to their usual competitive billing. Drawn from all corners of…
Lions in the Osewan area have been killing livestock for some time now. A few days ago, the new Moran age-set could stand it no more.
Birdie Naape has been known by the Lion Guardians since 2004. Her Maasai name ‘Naape’ was given to her by the Lion Guardians monitoring her because she moves large distances on regular occasions across her home range. When Birdie and her daughters Nempirbil and Nanyorri gave birth to a combined total of 9 cubs, we…
Sikiria is a male lion that initially baffled us with his movement patterns. However, since arriving at Mbirikani, he has found a perfect area to settle in. Oltiasika is an ideal lion habitat which is full of prey, water, enough females and has one of the best places to hide, the lava. Apart from engaging…
Kenya is thought to be the epicenter of giraffe evolution since it is the only country in the world which is home to three subspecies; Rothschild, Reticulated and Maasai giraffe. It is understood that giraffe once roamed freely across the greater Rift Valley but decades of persecution, increased human settlement and accelerated habitat loss have…