Saving Poisoned Lions: Noldupai & Loteletha

In recent years, a historical threat to wildlife has resurfaced in the Amboseli ecosystem of southern Kenya. We have noted that there has been a significant uptick in the use of poisons for lacing prey carcasses to kill carnivores. Traditionally, Maasai do not use poison as it is seen as cowardly. But over time, culture…

A Close Call for Nalotuesha

Recently, Guardian Lupembe played a critical role in saving the lives of several lions. Below, our community manager Eric Ole Kesoi explains what happened. In 2019, four calves from a Maasai community beyond our borders got lost out in the bush. Locals from the community convened to look for them, and Guardian Lupembe came across…

Building Confidence and Commitment Through Collaboration

Earlier this month, the Lion Guardians team was thrilled to host a six-day customized knowledge sharing session for seven participants from the Niassa Carnivore Project (5) and Niassa National Reserve (2) in Mozambique. These groups are on the front lines of conservation where they operate – where 60,000 people live within the protected area –…

KWS Poisoning Response Protocol Launched!

This past week at the National Lion & Hyena Strategy Meeting at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Headquarters in Nairobi, KWS formally launched the Response Protocol to Wildlife Poisoning Incidents. Poisoning is a major threat to Kenya’s wildlife, particularly to lions, vultures, hyenas, and other animals that scavenge. This response protocol will help organizations across…

Mbalueni’s legacy lives on…

The call came in late in the afternoon. Guardian Kapande reported that he was following the tracks of one male, two females and two small cubs. He was sure the large male was Meliyo. A surge of excitement crept through Lion Guardians headquarters – Meliyo had not been seen since Mbalueni was poisoned. Could those…

Act Today & Help Lions Survive

A harsh spotlight has been cast on the plight of the lion this year. The illegal hunt of Cecil in Zimbabwe, the most recent poisoning of three lions belonging to the Marsh Pride in the Masai Mara, Kenya and our very own loss of Mbalueni have raised global awareness of the decline in lion populations…

Large concentration of lions in fatal habitat

Osewan is a re-known thicket that extends well beyond the jurisdiction of Lion Guardians. The Maasai section that inhabit most of this area are called Matapato and are yet to benefit from the fruits of conservation, thus highly intolerant to predators that kill their livestock. This is the same area in which one of our…

Conflict-resolution meeting after Nosioki killing

After the poisoning of Nosioki and her cub, there was a meeting yesterday in Matapato to discuss the incident. People were calm since the two suspects that had been arrested a few days prior were released on the eve of the meeting in a surprise move by KWS. Before the release the Group Ranch was…