Our favorite local lion, Magilani, has been critically injured. We don’t yet know how she was injured or what her outlook is. But she is alive and she is with her two cubs, and she can move around. We are doing everything we can to find her and assess the situation and her status. Here’s what has happened so far.
Magilani seen with sever injuries of an unknown source, possibly gunshot.
On Monday, we drove to Arusha, Tanzania for the ATBC-SCB Conference (Assoc. for Tropical Biology and Conservation & Society for Conservation Biology Conservation Africa Section). Just as we were settling in we got a call that a severely wounded lion had been spotted in the Conservation Area just next to our camp. Trying to get all the facts and coordinate everyone involved from Tanzania was next to impossible, so we decided to pack up, cancel our participation in the conference and rush back to Samburu.
At the time, we didn’t know which lion was injured. Based on photos taken by a guest at Sasaab Lodge, we couldn’t ID the lion or decide with certainty how she was injured, but we could see bloody wounds on her right chest and right foreleg. However, it was hard to really assess her status from photos alone and we really needed to see her.
On Friday our hearts sank when we found the lion and confirmed it was Magilani, the lioness who lives with her two adolescent cubs in the Conservation Area in Westgate Community Conservancy. We were the first people to see and ID her and have been monitoring her for the past 2+ years. She serves as an ambassador lion and has become famous among the community.
She is lucky to be with her cubs who are old enough to make kills on their own and hopefully help her feed. She disappeared again on Saturday, but with the help of Sasaab Lodge and the scouts of Westgate, we are spending every possible moment looking for her.
Given the ecological importance of this small lion population, and the many threats causing its decline, each and every individual is invaluable. This is why it is so essential that we focus our efforts on ensuring Magilani’s well-being and safety.
We will continue to keep you updated and thank you for your comments and concern.
Above images courtesy Paul Munroe.