Amboseli ecosystem

The legend of Noonkiyaa

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…

Gurme’s Pyrrhic victory

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…

A Quest to Understand Lion Killing

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…

Sowing Seed(ball)s of Coexistence

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…

A memorable moment during the Lion Census

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…

Herding Helps Create Wildlife Hotspots

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…

Kimana’s Mystery Lion is Identified!

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…

How Some Lions Learn a Dangerous Habit

Like some other smart and social species, lions often learn from each other. This so-called “social learning” is generally advantageous for animals, since it enables helpful behaviors to spread through groups; dolphins learn from their mothers to use sponges as tools, monkeys learn to wash sweet potatoes from other members of their troop, and fish…