Ewaso Lions Conservation Safari, Kenya
with Dr Shivani Bhalla
9 – 13 August 2018
A special opportunity to see first-hand a conservation programme in the field and to financially support the long-term survival of lions in Kenya.
9 August
Dinner and overnight at The House of Waine, a charming colonial manor house with eleven bedrooms in the residential district of Karen in Nairobi.
10 August
Transfer to Nairobi Wilson Airport for the flight to Samburu 1020 – 1120 hours. Transfer to our private bush camp in the Westgate Conservancy, which borders Samburu, and is where Ewaso Lions are based. Our mobile camp is semi-luxurious without being ostentatious and offers a real bush experience. Each tent is furnished with comfortable beds and lovely linens and has its own en-suite hot water shower, wash basin and WC. Dr Shivani Bhalla the founder and Executive Director of Ewaso Lions joins you for lunch.
In the afternoon visit the Ewaso Lions headquarters to meet some of the other members of the team and to learn about their field research, monitoring of lions and work with the local Samburu people, including Lion Kids Camps. This is a simple base camp where Shivani and her small team of dedicated lion conservationists live. There will be time to do a game drive looking for wildlife in the vicinity. Although outside the protected area of the Samburu Reserve, Westgate has the same ecosystem and so you may see ‘northern’ specialties including Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich, as well as lion, leopard and elephant. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of aardwolf. The day finishes with drinks own by the river and a delicious supper in camp.
11 & 12 August
The next two days will be spent understanding and experiencing the core essence of Ewaso Lions – putting people at the heart of lion conservation. This will include visiting a local Samburu village and Mama Simba school, a bush walk with some of the Warriors and a game drive in Samburu National Reserve.
The Samburu, like the Maasai, are nomadic herders and live in traditional dung and mud huts within a boma-enclosure. Their lives have changed little and each village has a chief and their wealth depends on the number of cattle, camels, sheep and goats they have. Visiting one of their villages will really help you understand their way of life and the importance of putting people at the heart of lion conservation.
Ewaso Lions started a Mama Simba and Warrior’s School utilizing local community schools at weekends. Now the ladies have made their own ‘bush school’, which we will visit. The women in the local communities are often overlooked and marginalised, so the bush school provides a valuable programme that educates and empowers Samburu women. You’ll see first-hand the Mama Simba ladies being taught new skills and crafts that can help them earn a living and change their lives. After circumcision young Samburu men become ‘Warriors’ and leave their villages to become men. They graze their cattle further afield and protect their cattle by killing lions. Ewaso Lions has changed this and has successfully created a peer-to-peer network of Samburu warriors who now serve as wildlife ambassadors and first responders to lion conflict.
Breakfast and dinners in camp. Picnic lunches.
13 August
Bid farewell to Shivani and the rest of team and fly back to Nairobi 1210-1315 hours. Lunch and dinner in Nairobi. There will be time to do some shopping this afternoon.
N.B. This safari is offered independently or as an extension to our Masai Mara Wildlife safari with Jackson Looseyia 4 – 9 August.
The safari is in partnership with Spencer Scott Travel Services Limited. Please contact Liz Drake on liz.drake@spencerscott.co.uk for more informaton including prices for the lion safari.