Monitoring Update: Carnivore News From The Team

September 28, 2022

Monitoring Update: Carnivore News From The Team

The lion monitoring team has been tremendously busy these past few months. Both in the reserves and on community lands, carnivores are thriving. Our resident lions have been gaining more and more confidence, feeling safe on community lands and in the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves. We’ve also been lucky to have some visiting lions as well as some rare sightings of other carnivores.

From our calculations, this season marks the highest number of lions in our area of operations since we began the project. While the landscape goes through the toughest of seasons, we can take pride in the coexistence that has been built over the years with the team and community working hard to keep the culture of conservation thriving.

One of the highlights was the entry of three maned males that we had not seen in Samburu National Reserve before. These males have been in Il Ngwesi Conservancy for over a year, after first being sighted in Westgate Conservancy in June 2021 (originally from Loisaba). Our team in Il Ngwesi had been watching over them and then they made their way to Samburu National Reserve. It gives us much hope to see the movement of lions through the landscape as we continue to work to keep critical corridors open. Lpuresi and Letupukwa watched the new arrivals closely to see whether they will head back south or whether Samburu National Reserve will become their new territory. Sure enough, after less than a week in Samburu National Reserve, the 3 males headed back south to Il Ngwesi Conservancy. Their presence in Samburu led to new movement by our resident males who ventured far east and west into areas we had not seen them in before, having been supplanted by the new arrivals. Letupukwa and Lpuresi returned to camp after a week with these lions brimming with stories and experiences of what they saw.

Il Ngwesi males sit in saltbush as captured by Letupukwa and the monitoring team © Ewaso Lions

Meanwhile, Naramat’s kin, Mararoi and Narasha successfully hunted a warthog in the Westgate Conservation Area. Seeing them find healthy prey in this area where partners have just concluded the first management plan for a conservation refuge is proof that together, we can help wildlife flourish even during the tough periods.

Narasha hunts a warthog © Ewaso Lions

One of the rarest sightings we’ve had thus far has been of a leopard and her two cubs close to the river in Westgate Conservancy. She is a fantastic mother as she navigates through the complex community landscape.

Our team is keeping track of all these carnivores as they navigate the landscape during this challenging season. We thank all our friends and supporters for ensuring that our work goes on, and our mission is fulfilled.