Livestock herding to the Indigenous Maasai of East Africa is an ancestral tradition that dates back centuries. For the Maasai, livestock herding is a vital practice that protects livestock from predator attacks. Boys are traditionally trained from a young age, ensuring they are fully equipped with the skills and knowledge to become skilled herders by…
Since 2004, our focus has been on mitigating conflict brought on by a small percentage of lions that account for the majority of livestock depredations. We refer to these lions as ‘chronic problem lions.’ One way to keep track of these troublesome lions is by collaring them. But collars are expensive and we need real-time…
The traditional land use practices of the Maasai are currently undergoing significant changes. The Maasai have traditionally practiced pastoral nomadism, the way of life where people depend on domesticated livestock and often migrate within an established territory to find pasture for their animals. This way of life was adaptable and primarily compatible with wildlife conservation.…
Early in 2021, a young lioness named Nempusel entered our operating area from Amboseli Park. She was a first-time mom, and she gave birth to her cubs right next to several bomas. We’ve seen other new moms have their cubs in similar areas; these new mums don’t seem to realize having little cubs so close…
Conservation is about more than keeping animals safe – it’s also about protecting the people living alongside those animals. Here, Program Manager Luke Mamaai discusses our recent efforts to help keep local community members safe from COVID. Here in the Amboseli ecosystem, COVID is on the rise – we are seeing many cases, and unfortunately,…
To protect lions and communities, it is critical to respond quickly when human-wildlife conflict erupts as well as to anticipate conflict before it even happens. Previous scientific research has found that lions’ activity patterns, attack rates, and hunting success vary across different phases of the moon, so we decided to dig into our own data…
Coronavirus has swept the planet and impacted nearly every human activity on Earth; conservation in general – and Lion Guardians specifically – is no exception. It is imperative that we continue our work, as communities and lions need our help more than ever, but it is also critical that we ensure the safety of our…
Our monitoring team recently caught up with a lion we had been hoping to get our eyes on for months. In this dispatch from the field, our Director of Science, Stephanie Dolrenry, explains the encounter and the backstory. When they were young, Sanarua and Nekompewa were inseparable. The young sisters were always the most “mature”…
Lepilal, our Guardian for the Inkiito zone in Olgulului group ranch, has recently been appreciated by his community for all the numerous ways in which he assists them. Since becoming a Guardian he has managed to help the community in reinforcing tens of bomas (livestock corrals), finding hundreds of lost livestock and proactively mitigating conflict.…
As we shared this past weekend, we have implemented a COVID-19 protocol that means we are practicing social distancing even in team meetings and are self-isolating a lot at camp. Here are some reflections from our Lion Monitoring Manager, Philip J. Briggs from his tent at the Lion Guardians Camp. Lions are social animals: they…