Walking with Lions: 2024 Amboseli Lion Census

After months of walking vast landscapes, tracking, camping, monitoring, and counting, our team has successfully completed our 2024 annual lion census—a three-month survey carried out across the Amboseli ecosystem in partnership with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Wildlife Research & Training Institute (WRTI). This year’s census took us through some of the most remote and rugged areas of the Amboseli Ecosystem. However, there’s always something really valuable about spending long days in the field and “catching up” with the lions again, recognizing familiar individuals, confirming new additions to prides, and witnessing the subtle changes that come with time.

Each lion has a story, from the pride matriarch whose presence anchors the group, to the young males the likes of Kurtial and the brothers, who are testing their strength, to the new families emerging in areas we hadn’t seen them before. We even had moments of joy when we reunited a lost 3-month-old cub with mother, watching them play and learn the ways of the wild. And there were also moments of concern, when we noticed increased number of lions moving around human settlements or changing their patterns due to increased livestock grazing.

This monitoring is a critical part of how we track the health of the lion population over time. Through the census, we estimate lion abundance and density, and track sex ratios and population structure, helping us understand population dynamics and longer-term trends. This information is important for evaluating whether our conservation work is having the intended impact and supporting a healthy lion population. We are now working through the analysis of the large volume of data collected over the past three months. Based on results from previous surveys, we anticipate that we will continue to see lion population growth across the Amboseli ecosystem! More to share soon as we complete the analysis. 

For now, we are deeply grateful for the teamwork that carried this survey through, from our dedicated field teams to the partners who supported us every step of the way. Special thanks to KWS and WRTI for their continued collaboration, and to the local communities whose support and cooperation make this work possible. And to the lions, who continue to teach us something new each season: thank you for allowing us to walk beside you.