The verdant, beautiful 5000+ acres that make up the Kimana Sanctuary used to support a good number of lions; the big cats relied on its year-round water and used it as a critical link between large swaths of prime territory. But beginning in the 1990s, the lions disappeared, likely as a result of increasing human…
Guardian Kikanai – Reflections on the Trip to Tanzania for the Lion Guardians Games
As narrated to John Merishi by Guardian Kikanai Likampa The trip to Tanzania was excellent. I was delighted to have been chosen and also that the Lion Guardians team ensured that all was in place for a safe travel to and from Tanzania. I was also grateful that the Kope Lion team was so hospitable.…
Will you help us light up our tree?
via GIPHY As the year winds down, we would like to take this opportunity to reach out and ask for your continued support. With a growing lion population, we are adding more and more Guardians to our community. Our goal for 2017 is to have all our Guardians salaries fully sponsored. We are 51% of…
Magnanimous Martii wins the hearts of all!
Martii was born in early February 2009 on Eselenkei. He is the only surviving son of the then reigning heart throb Lomunyak. His mother was a lovely light colored lioness named Nasieku, she who comes out first. Martii only recently returned to our area of operation after a five year hiatus. He had spent the…
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…
#GivingTuesday 2015
Lions are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Today there are only an estimated 20,000 remaining. At Lion Guardians, we have been able to witness some amazing trends, however. In the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem where we operate, we have documented a tripling in the lion population since 2009. Help us to continue making a difference in reversing…
From boy to warrior to elder….
In today’s short blog, Luke Maamai, our program manager, provides a glimpse into the intricacies involved in the various stages of Maasai man’s life and urges all his community members to embrace the traditional way… Traditionally, Maasai boys were given basic cultural training by their seniors while in the field tending the cows and goats, hunting…
Arming with Knowledge: Transforming Fear into Confidence
In today’s blog, Lion Guardians Cofounder and Director of Science, Dr. Stephanie Dolrenry shares with us the power of knowledge and her experience coaching rangers in @AkageraPark, Rwanda with community manager Eric Ole Kesoi and tenured Guardian Kisimir Olamayiani. When we first arrived in Akagera, we were excited to get going but before we started our…
Lion Guardians in Akagera National Park
Have you been wondering what Lion Guardians are doing in AkageraPark, Rwanda – well now you need not wonder anymore… As many of you may have heard, seven lions were recently reintroduced to Rwanda after two decades. This was dubbed a milestone achievement by Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, in a statement. [Read more here] Shortly…