A few days ago we received a report from Lion Guardian Timoine who works in northern Olgululi, not far from Amboseli National Park. He had found the tracks of 2 female lions and 5 cubs! In the past we had heard similar reports from Lion Guardian Parkesian, who is in the neighbouring zone to Timoine, but had never been able to find these lions before. Were there some new lions that we did not know? We were very eager to find out!
We rushed to the area, picking Timoine up from his boma along the way, and arriving at dusk. Luckily we had some bait to attract the lions, and as night fell we dragged it around the area to create a scent trail, before tying it to a tree. Then, knowing that these lions were very skittish and cautious we drove quite a distance away and waited.
We played the sounds of a dying wildebeest from loud speakers to call the lions in, and without much hope we waited in silence in the dark. Suddenly, we all jumped! There was a very big female lioness walking right by the car! She noticed us and ran away, but after calling her in a few more times, she returned and started to eat the meat! Here she is!
We waited, really hoping that she would bring the cubs out from wherever they were hiding, and after a few minutes she walked off, making calling sounds! We couldn’t believe our luck – we were going to see the cubs too! After a while we saw mum heading back to the meat, followed closely by another adult female, and 5 cubs, which looked about 6-8 months old! Here are 4 of the 5 cubs.
Luckily they settled down and didn’t seem to mind our spotlight, and we were able to watch the cubs playing, and take photographs to identify the individuals (4 males and 1 female). The cubs got braver and braver, coming very close to the car at some points and sitting down to watch us, before mum called them back. They even started to relax.
After close inspection of the photographs we had taken and those in our database, we discovered that the very large adult female that we had seen was known to the project and had been spotted before. But the other female and the 5 cubs are new lions, increasing our population total! Very good news! Well done Timoine for finding them!
how wonderful! and new cubs with this new female! is this new female the mom of the five cubs? and four of them are male? wow! i can just imagine a coalition of five big males! and if this female cub, a 3 member pride has a better chance of making a kill and keeping it too! great job!
This is wonderful news. Let us hope that lions are beginning to feel a bit more comfortable in the area as a result of the increased protection and that the population will stabilize.
Keep up your excellent work!
Fantastic news!! – makes all the hard work of the Guardians so worthwhile!!
I have read this news excited me so much, it’s wonderful to know of the existence of this large cucciolata.Speriamo that the life story of these lions can be positivo.E ‘confirmation that all the efforts you are fecendo to halt the decline of the lions is working on frutti.Vi I offer my best wishes for lionguardians Vorta lavoro.il My thoughts are always with voi.Per all those who love animals know that there is rinquorante who defends with such passion for wildlife at risk extinction
Hi Eric and the Lion Guardian team. I have donated Kamunu’s 6 monthly sponsorship via Panthera. Please let me know that you have received the donation please?
Send my best wishes to Kamunu and his family. It would be great to see a photo of Kamunu, his family and village at some stage. Hope- fully, you will be able to update the map which was in the last Lion Guardian annual report with the latest Lion Guardians and the areas that they are responsible for. I am sure a lot of readers would like to see that on the blog here. Maps are very interesting.
This is excellent Job, we are all happy for the good news.
Hi Brenton, I would definitely like to see a map like that.
Great news on the new cubs and lioness!
Hi Brenton – thanks so much for your sponsorship of Kamunu! We will post a blog about his progress soon and take some photos next time we visit his home. THANK YOU!