Friendly Encounters with Wildlife
Most children in northern Kenya have only had negative experiences with wildlife – they see elephants chasing someone, the remains of a camel after a lion attack, or a leopard running off with their goat. They rarely have the opportunity to experience what so many visitors pay to see in Kenya’s world famous parks and reserves.
Ewaso Lions strongly believes that these children are the future wildlife leaders. They are the future rangers, wardens, tour guides, and field officers.
Lion Kids Camp
Each year, we put on the Lion Kids Camp, a multi-day camp for local children that combines wildlife education, game drives, art competitions, and fun. The participants have a life-changing wildlife experience. Our evaluation of the Lion Kids Camp found that children’s views on wildlife significantly improved after the Camp.
> Read about the 2014 Lion Kids Camp on Solio Ranch
> Read about the 2014 Lion Kids Camp in Samburu
> Read about the inaugural Lion Kids Camp in 2013
Game Drives for Kids
To date, we have taken more than 100 children on game drives in Samburu National Reserve. For most kids, this is the first time in their lives they have safely seen many of these animals. We lend them cameras so they can document their adventure, and we teach them about wildlife and conservation.
Above: On a recent game drive, Saiwana and Ltonos see their first-ever lion: Lguret in the background. This is what the Lion Kids Camps are all about – these children are the next generation of conservationists and Ewaso Lions is committed to investing in their future.
> Read about a recent game drive
> Lion Kids Camps are done in collaboration with and support from The Safari Collection
> Lion Kids Camps are supported in part by our friend and partner Todd Cromwell’s Kenya Kids on Safari project
