Gurme’s Pyrrhic victory

Two sub-adult male lions arrived in Selenkay Conservancy some years ago. They had dispersed from a pride in  a part of the Chyulu Hills called Olosira (southern Kenya). In Selenkay, they found a resident male lion and his four sub-adult male sons. The two new arrivals, who Lion Guardians later named Gurme and Lormesasu, settled…

Better Bomas = Less Conflict

In the following dispatch, our program manager Luke Maamai explains how a collaborative project between Lion Guardians and Born Free Foundation will help local lions, livestock, and community members. Much of the decline in the lion population in Africa results from the illegal killing of lions using spears, snares and poisoning in revenge for livestock depredation.…

How Some Lions Learn a Dangerous Habit

Like some other smart and social species, lions often learn from each other. This so-called “social learning” is generally advantageous for animals, since it enables helpful behaviors to spread through groups; dolphins learn from their mothers to use sponges as tools, monkeys learn to wash sweet potatoes from other members of their troop, and fish…

Familiar Faces in the Eselenkei Conservancy

In January of this year, we were surprised to find two young males, Gurme and Lormesasu, entering the heart of our handsome reigning king Martii’s territory. These teenagers have dispersed from the slopes of the Chyulu Hills, nearly 65 kilometers away. We are pleased to see them moving safely across the ecosystem and – as…

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…

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…

Guardian Alamayiani: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Although Guardian Alamayiani has been with Lion Guardians for just over a year, it feels like he has been part of the team for many more. He has bonded quickly with other team members who all enjoy his jovial personality. Alamayiani covers a zone that often has the highest densities of lions than anywhere else…

Celebrating World Lion Day 2015

In celebration of ‪#‎WorldLionDay‬, we held a film showing and soccer challenge at Loitero Primary school in Eselenkei Group Ranch. Here is a pictorial overview of the celebrations: School children and community members ready to watch the Lion Guardians educational film and several clips from other lion based documentaries. In addition to the film showings, Guardians…