We’ve received a report that on the 28th of March, 60 murrans from Olgulului (OLG) went to hunt for lions. Allegedly these lions killed a cow and the warriors were seeking revenge. The murrans divided into groups and were chasing a lion, which headed into Amboseli National Park when the Amboseli-Tsavo Game Scouts and the Kenya Wildlife Service stopped the first group from entering the park. Just after the first group left, a second group showed up, but luckily the Game Scouts and KWS were able to calm the situation and put a halt to the lion hunting. The Olgulului warriors were not able to spear any lions. That was a smart (or lucky) lion to head back to the National Park. We are so glad that the Game Scouts and Kenya Wildlife Service were there to stop the killing before it happened.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that OLG is in desperate need of lion conservation. We are aiming to start Lion Guardians program over there in late summer/early fall. Those murrans need to begin benefiting from living with lions.
As for the murrans who succeeded in spearing lions on OLG last month; they appeared in court before the judge last week and denied their charges after being advised to do so by other inmates. Their case will be heard on the 19th of April.
This is extremely worrying and big thanks to KWS and the Game Scouts for bing there!
You are right, the murrans simply have to be more involved in conservation and gain from it too!
Will you be increasing your scope as Lion Guardians? How much funding is required for this? Perhaps the Lion Guardians can benefit from a similar campaign that the Mara Conservancy is running.
The East African (the region largest newspaper) has featured the tragic spearings of lions and elephants:
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Magazine/mag310320082.htm
The Maasai will not stop spearing Amboseli’s wildlife until the wildlife is worth more to them than their cattle. The National Park should be turned over to the rightful owners of the land, the local Maasai, from whom it was stolen in 1974. The Maasai they should administer it and derive the financial benefits from it. Every lion in Kenya is worth several thousand US dollars annually to the Kenya tourism industry and this fact should be reflected in the rewards to the Amboseli Maasai. Every lion in the Park should carry a fee to be paid to the Olgulului Maasai monthly. That will soon stop the lions being speared. Way back in 1981 the World Animal Review estimated that every photographable lion in Amboseli was worth between $375,000 and $515,000 to Kenya for attracting tourist income. (P.Thresher)
Just came across this interview with Leelah on Mongabay:
http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0325-interview_hazzah.html
in my opinion, each lion is worth at least one hundred thousand in u.s.d.. the reason is the price or the fee for a trophy hunter to kill a lion in botswana is about one hundred thousand.
since botswana government seems to value its lions and its successful wildlife safari industry, each hunt is accompanied by an official. and the government sets a strict and low number of lions for hunting each year.
I heard a white rancher who boosted the fact that he had poisoned a whole pride of lions in the area of kalahari, he was put in jail! he did loose cattle; but the pride that was killed or murdered by him was not proved to be the guilty ones. and killing a whole pride was unacceptable to the government. botswana really means business even though it is a cattle country and its beef barons dictate the lawmakers what to do like building fences that actually cut off any ancient migrant route to food and water for any wildlife in the time of drought.
lions in kenya might still face extinction because their territory is shrinking ( being invaded by herders and their livestock ) due to the ever increasing number of livestock and their herders. with more herders whose desire is to have as many cows/goats as they can, they need more grazing land. because of their increasing demand of grazing land, lions’ & other predators’ natural prey have to yield and find food and water some where else.
with the increasing livestock owners, dogs’ presence also increased. along with domestic animal comes diseases like rabies and distemper. both can and have killed over thousand lions.
It does concern me that the Maasai do not benefit from their own wildlife. At the very least there needs to be very effective livestock compensation plans in effect so that the Maasai aren’t as financially hurt when the lions take their cattle. The Lion Guardians is a great program but it needs the funds to compensate the people for their losses as well.
Antony, sometimes it’s just too hard to comment on problems that are so big. I wish the Maasai could reap the rewards of sharing their land with wildlife and be compensated for their losses to predation. Really, the Kenyan government needs to address the needs of these people. They are a treasure, just like the wildlife there, and need respect and help to maintain their culture into the future.
Sauwah,
I would like you to explain what being white has to do with the anecdote you related about lions being poisoned. If you are going to be racist then justify it. Don’t hide behind obtuse statements that only blindly-leftist readers accept at face value.
And while I’m about it, who out of all the commenters and readers of this blog actually lives in Africa? Or am i speaking to a bunch of foreigners who somehow think that africa needs to be patronised, and that only you (through your enlightened views) can provide solutions?
Erik, I don’t live in Africa, but I don’t think I’m “patronizing” anyone by posting here. I visit this blog to show my support of Antony and the Lion Guardians.
Whoa Eric, where dose this come from? If you only knew…my despair for not being able to help more. Our love for conservation knows no borders…we are all friends here, trying our darn best to help any way we can. Sometimes, it feels as if the world has gone mad, lost touch with what really matters. Don’t you feel that, too?
In this day and age, it shouldn’t matter what color you are or what country you live in. The lions are our focus and they will not be well served if we spend our time debating color or country.
This is a time for global responsibility, for recognizing that protecting natural resources is a universal issue. Should I be in trouble or my family be in danger of being wiped out, I should not care who helped me, I’d just be grateful for the help. The lions, and probably even the Maasai involved, will never know the color of our skin or the countries we’re from, and it won’t matter to them. All that matters is that we’re helping the Maasai preserve their own environment by helping them to save the lions. Only good can come of this – let’s focus on that.
i am doing a prodject debate in school about this topic and I am so with not killing the lions. It is stupid for the cattle owners to even be near the lions, none the less be killing them! It is the stupidest thing ever. I mean its not thr lions falt they live there. It’s natures.