Four consecutive seasons of below-average rainfall in East Africa have created the worst drought the region has seen in 40 years. Lion Guardians operates Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs), the parts of the country hardest hit by the drought. We look at the effects of the drought on Maasai communities and lions in the…
By Eric Ole Kesoi, Lion Guardians Community Manager Lion tracking is an addictive art. Men from pastoralist communities learn this skill very early in life. I have formed the habit of tracking early every day when I am at the Lion Guardians camp. I find that there are few pleasures as wonderful as a peaceful…
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…
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…
At Lion Guardians, we pride ourselves on being creative, reacting to challenges, and taking risks. But we also know that in order to be effective, these actions need to be in the context of a larger strategy – one that combines lessons from the past with current information to chart a course for the future.…
Last year, the Lion Guardians Games returned to Amboseli after three years of being hosted in Ngorongoro, Tanzania, and it was an incredible and rewarding experience. Below, our Program Manager Luke Maamai recounts what made this year’s Games different. The Lion Guardians Games is an annual event that brings Guardians, stakeholders, and partners together to…
Amazon. IKEA. ValuJet. And…Lion Guardians? Our organization might not seem like it has much in common with these business giants; we are certainly not a huge corporation, nor a household name. But like each of them, we have taken big risks, shaken up our industry, and seen big rewards. In fact, our perspective is that…
It is always exciting to welcome new faces to the Lion Guardians family! Since the beginning of the year, we have hired two new Guardians to help conserve lions and preserve communities in our operating area. Lankoi Partoti Mancha is a 24-year old member of the Iltuati age-set [the current group of morans, or warriors].…
This year, we have experienced extremely high levels of conflict, mostly as a result of heavy rainfall and a booming lion population. And although the communities have been extraordinarily tolerant, we have hired four new Guardians to help proactively mitigate conflict in our operating areas. Our office manager Merishi recently got a chance to catch…