Community – Ewaso Lions

Mama Simba’s habitat recovery takes root

If you have been following the Mama Simba habitat recovery journey, you know this moment has been a long time coming.

What started as an initiative for the Mama Simba to recover the land that lions and local communities depend on is becoming real — rooted. A story of patience, learning, and building with your own hands. It is just the beginning.

Why habitat recovery

Lion conservation in the Ewaso Lions’ area of operation is inseparable from the health of the land itself. When habitat degrades, when invasive species crowd out native vegetation, when shade disappears and cover thins, lions and other wildlife lose more than comfort. They lose the dense bush that makes hunting possible. They lose the resting spots that allow them to move through a shared landscape with less friction. They lose the essential thick areas needed to hide their cubs. When wildlife, especially predators, struggle, the ripple effects reach the livestock and the livelihoods of the pastoral communities who live alongside them. Habitat recovery is thus central to the long-term future of lion conservation in this region.

It started with learning

In May 2025, Mama Simba travelled to the Centre for Ecosystem Restoration Kenya (CER-K) at Brackenhurst, Limuru, for an intensive five-day training. There, they learned two critical skills: how to identify and tackle Mathenge (Prosopis juliflora), the invasive species quietly choking out native vegetation across the landscape, and how to propagate Salvadora persica (toothbrush tree), an indigenous species that provides lions with dense cover for hunting, hiding cubs and shade for rest. The training was rigorous and practical. It was hands in soil, eyes on species, knowledge transferred directly between people who care deeply about this land.

Mama Simba during their training at CER-K

Building from scratch

By March 2026, that intention had taken physical form. With their own hands, the Mama Simba built a tree nursery, a dedicated, structured space to cultivate the seedlings that would eventually return to the land. They built it themselves, and in doing so, they built an initiative that belongs to them.

The nursery

In May, one year after their initial training and with additional hands-on training and support from the Centre for Ecosystem Restoration Kenya (CER-K), which came directly to the newly constructed nursery at the Lion Kids Camp, Mama Simba planted 2000 seedlings spanning 23 species of trees and shrubs. Every single one is indigenous. Every single one was carefully selected not just for lions, but for the full ecosystem: for wildlife, for livestock, and for the communities who share and steward this landscape.

Twenty-three indigenous species, each with a role to play. Some of the seedlings will be planted to fill in the gaps where the invasive Mathenge species has been removed. Others will be planted across the landscape where they will grow into the dense thickets that give lions the cover they need to hunt. Overall, many will provide shade, stabilise soils, support pollinators, or offer fodder for livestock. Healthy ecosystems are not built from a single species; they are interlaced with many, each supporting the others. That is exactly what Mama Simba is rebuilding here.

Growing Momentum

For Mama Simba, this is a historic milestone. It centres the knowledge, the labour, and the investment of the women who know this land best. Women who live alongside lions, who understand the rhythms of this ecosystem in ways no outside expert can fully replicate.

What makes this effort extraordinary is not just its ecological ambition. It is the model it represents: that conservation is most powerful when the communities at its heart are initiating the activities. Mama Simba did not wait for habitat recovery to happen to them. They made it happen themselves.

Next steps

Watching an initiative grow from the ground up, from a simple idea into a tangible, living, breathing reality, has been nothing short of inspiring. The nursery is a beginning, not an end. As the seedlings grow and are eventually transplanted into the wider landscape, the impact of this work will spread beyond the nursery walls, taking root in the soils of northern Kenya.

Images by Simatwa Ngachi & Ewaso Lions

Kura’s Pride Just Got a Powerful Boost

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]At Ewaso Lions, through community-led conservation, we have seen how strategic impact happens when people who know their neighbours, understand local concerns, and have earned their trust lead the conversation.

That is exactly what Kura’s Pride is building in Westgate Community Conservancy through the Kura’s Pride Ambassadors.

Meet the Kura’s Pride Ambassadors

Our Kura’s Pride programme has welcomed eight new Ambassadors: Nyati, Nakwatu, Sharon, Nosurai, Meeme, Njuana, Stellah, and Doris. Women drawn from all locations across Westgate Community Conservancy.

These are women engrained in the daily life of their communities. They understand how livestock is important to their communities. They know which families have dogs and cats. They know which households have questions or concerns about their animals. They know how to have the difficult conversations with patience, with trust, and with cultural fluency that no outside team can replicate.

As Kura’s Pride Ambassadors, they accompany our Domestic Animal Mobile Veterinary Unit (MVU) on field vaccination drives across Westgate Community Conservancy, speaking directly with community members about the importance of vaccinations and responsible animal care. Their presence transforms what might feel like a veterinary visit into a community-led conversation that is built on relationship and not instruction.

824 Vaccinations in 4 Days

The impact of this approach showed up clearly in the numbers from a mid-April vaccination drive organised this year across Westgate.

In just four days, the MVU vaccinated 824 dogs and cats against rabies and distemper, a result that reflects not just logistical efficiency but genuine community trust and participation.

Rabies remains one of the leading causes of human death in rural Kenya, and distemper poses serious risks to both domestic animals and wildlife. When animals in pastoral landscapes go unvaccinated, the consequences ripple outward: to livestock, to the predators that share those landscapes, and to the communities that depend on both.

Healthy animals mean healthier communities. Healthier communities mean a landscape where people, livestock, and predators, including lions, have a better chance of coexisting.

The MVU operates through a partnership between Ewaso Lions, the Samburu County Department of Veterinary Services, Animal Care Centre, VetinWild, and the Foundation for International Aid to Animals. This coalition brings together government, NGOs, and specialist veterinary expertise in the service of community-led conservation.

The addition of the Kura’s Pride Ambassadors strengthens that partnership from the ground up, ensuring that the communities being served are not just recipients of veterinary care but active participants in it.

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Invasive Species: Challenge or Opportunity?

The encroachment of the highly invasive Prosopis julifora, known locally as Mathenge, into our lion territories presents a complex dilemma. Witnessing its rapid proliferation in key lion areas raises significant concerns, given its notorious ability to outcompete indigenous vegetation and transform landscapes into dense, impenetrable thickets. However, amidst these challenges lie unexpected opportunities.

The vast invasive species forests

Mathenge’s swift growth has inadvertently created havens for lions, providing them with secure refuges for raising cubs and seeking shelter from threats. Yet, this comes at a cost – the displacement of vital indigenous cover and the erosion of critical wildlife habitat. In particular, the gradual disappearance of the indigenous toothbrush tree, a cornerstone of lion habitat, underscores the urgency of addressing the invasive species issue.

Kwenia and Narasha walk in front of the “Mathenge” forests

While the vast Mathenge forests seem daunting to tackle, we recognise the imperative to restore lion habitats by reclaiming territory from invasive species. Our efforts, led by Mama Simba through their lion habitat recovery initiative, involves strategic removal of smaller Mathenge bushes and experimenting with the cultivation of toothbrush trees, albeit with the acknowledgment that this process may span years.

Mama Simba ladies remove “Mathenge” (c) Anthony Ochieng

It is clear that Mathenge offers only a transient solution to lion conservation, underscoring the necessity of long-term strategies centered on restoring landscapes with indigenous flora and managing invasive species effectively. By prioritising the preservation of lion habitats and promoting continued harmony between wildlife and communities, we can navigate this intricate landscape towards a sustainable future for both lions and ecosystems alike.

*This work is being done in collaboration with other partners.

From Dreams to Reality: Solomon’s Journey to Becoming a Veterinarian

Solomon’s Journey to Becoming a Veterinarian: Click on this video to learn more about his journey.

Solomon’s Journey

“Going to school was not something I had ever dreamed of because no one in my family had gone to school. In the whole family, we are nineteen and I am the only one who went to school. I consider myself as the luckiest one,” Solomon Lenasalia.

Ewaso Lions, through the Jeremy Lucas Education Fund, sponsored Solomon for four years of secondary education. Subsequently, Solomon continued his academic pursuit with Ewaso Lions’ sponsorship, and in 2022, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Resource Conservation at Kenyatta University.

Since 2021, Solomon served as Ewaso Lions’ Kura’s Pride Coordinator, making significant contributions to community engagement in animal welfare and responsible dog ownership. Now he is embarking on the next chapter of his remarkable journey – studying veterinary medicine at Egerton University! We eagerly anticipate witnessing Solomon evolve into the next veterinarian in the Samburu-Isiolo region in the coming years as he completes his education.

Solomon in the village

Solomon assessing an injured donkey

Our Lion Kids Camps – How Do We Know They Work?

How do we know we are having a positive impact on the children that attend our Lion Kids Camps? To evaluate the impact of each of our camps, all attendees complete a pre-camp and a post-camp quiz. The quizzes contain a series of multi-choice questions aimed at assessing changes in attitudes and knowledge. We also conduct a short pre-camp and post-camp questionnaire containing open ended questions. Our education team are highly skilled at conducting the quizzes and questionnaires.

Our Lion Kids Camp team who conduct all evaluations (c) Lucy Maina

To date we have held 35 Lion Kids Camps with almost 1000 children from across 4 counties in northern Kenya. Some of the highlights of our latest Camp held in October 2023 include:

– 96% of the children who attended went on their first ever safari
– The average number of threats that lions face that the children stated post-camp compared to pre-camp increased from 2.3 to 6.6
– 77% of the children said that it was possible for their community to live alongside carnivores peacefully, compared to 58% before the camp
– Before the camp, 76% of children considered themselves as responsible for protecting their livestock from predation. Following the camp, this increased to 100%
– 96% of the children would like to learn more about wildlife and conservation following the camp.

For the full impact report of our last Lion Kids Camp in October 2023, click here. We thank Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Kampur Safaris for their support in this year’s Camps.

For more information on our Lion Kids Camps, click here.

To help us hold a Lion Kids Camp and increase the impact we are having, click here to make a donation. Each Lion Kids Camp costs us $2500. Thank you so much!

From Drought to Floods

After 3 years of drought, we finally received some rain in March and April. It was such a relief to see the landscape recover. Mid year we started hearing about El Nino and the upcoming rainy season where we would receive much more rain than usual. These rains began in October and have continued through November.

On the 2nd of November, the Ewaso Nyiro burst its banks, all the dry river beds (luggas) flowed heavily, dams burst and it rained all day. Our communities were heavily impacted and many were forced to flee from their homes at night as roads became rivers and houses were submerged. A few days later, we were able to provide food support for 60 of the most affected families in Learata villages.

Community members from Learata walk on the main road in search for help

Learata village flooded on 2nd November

Food relief arrives for Learata community

60 households receive food support following the floods

Since then, the rains have continued but at a much gentler pace. It has been harder to locate the lions in the rains however our teams continue to remain vigilant and patrol areas that are passable. This tends to be a harder time for lions and other carnivores as prey disperse away from the river and are much more energetic. But for now, we are enjoying all the wildlife sightings in this special green landscape.

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Receiving the Whitley Gold Award

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RECEIVING THE WHITLEY GOLD AWARD

We are thrilled to announce that Ewaso Lions was recognised with the prestigious Whitley Gold Award, presented by HRH Princess Anne at a spectacular ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society in London in April. Sir David Attenborough narrated a short video on Ewaso Lions, which can be watched here.

Seven of our team members took to the stage to address the 500-strong audience of supporters, donors and country Ambassadors to share in the power of community-led conservation, rounding out the milestone 30th Whitley Awards ceremony with a Samburu blessing for all conservationists worldwide. Our keynote speech can be watched here.

We are so honoured to receive this award that celebrates our community-led programmes and all our communities who live alongside wildlife in northern Kenya. Through the Gold Award 2-year project, we will be developing a community-led toolkit that can be applied anywhere around the world. It is separate to our day-to-day Ewaso Lions work but connected in an exciting way. Using our learnings and experiences from the past 15 years, and together with 25 global conservation leaders whom we will bring to Samburu, we will collectively develop this toolkit.

Here are some of our celebratory photos:

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Bringing Back Wildlife to Women: Mama Simba New Vision and Strategy

Bringing Back Wildlife to Women: Mama Simba New Vision and Strategy

Mama Simba, meaning “mother of lions” in Kiswahili, started in 2013 and was the brainchild of two Samburu women – Mparasaroi Lemantaan and Munteli Lalparasaroi. Ewaso Lions engaged the Mama Simba women in conservation, education, and beadwork activities for a number of years.

In September 2022, Mama Simba ladies gathered to take stock of how their work was evolving and decide how to re-weight various programmes and activities. This programme now provides a platform for Samburu women to reclaim their place as the owners and protectors of wildlife. Through environmental literacy, lion habitat recovery activities, engagement and awareness work on coexistence and culture, and providing support during droughts, women are re-engaging in conservation in northern Kenya. Mama Simba now holds firmly to the historically held belief that wildlife belongs to women.

Over the past quarter, the Mama Simba ladies have been very active in their work. Helped by the arrival of a new vehicle sponsored by World Women Work, our Mama Simba ladies have worked in recovering lion habitat by controlling the spread of invasive species, managing the Sasaab Lokere (grass enclosure) by digging bunds, planting seeds and watering them, and managing a pilot tree project in the Conservation Area in Westgate. These activities are in support of partner efforts within the Conservancy.

Watch the Mama Simba Vehicle Arrival video here

In addition to their lion habitat recovery activities, the Mama Simba have been extremely active during the drought and provided much-needed support for wildlife through digging of waterholes.

“A few weeks ago, we saw Loingopa walk inside the dry Ewaso Nyiro River- from hole to hole searching for water. He eventually found a small hole and dug for water an occurrence we had not seen in the past. The next day, Mama Simba ladies went to where the lions were and dug a few holes in the vicinity, and that night lions drank from the dug water holes. The following morning, my team and I found the lions resting nearby the water holes”, Jeneria Lekilelei.

Here are our Mama Simba highlights for this past quarter:

Successfully acquired a vehicle to aid them in their conservation efforts.
Dug 20 waterholes for wildlife.
Uprooted 70 invasive plant species.
Held a total of 26 environmental literacy classes every Wednesday and Sunday.
Planted and monitored the growth of tree seedlings – so far 15 seeds have germinated.
Supported efforts in Kura’s Pride by reporting cases of sick or injured animals, brought dogs and cats for surgical procedures and vaccinations, reported livestock attacked by wildlife, and helped created awareness on improved animal welfare.
Held 2 exposure trips to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary and Samburu National Reserve creating positive interactions between women and wildlife.
Held 1 meeting with women on culture, conservation, and coexisting with wildlife.
Supported each of the 4 Lion Kids Camps held this year.
Assisted in Nanai’s operation and monitored her journey to recovery.

Community-Led Conservation: Exploring the PARTNERS Principles for Conservation

Community-Led Conservation: Exploring the PARTNERS Principles for Conservation

Community-led conservation is more than just working with communities; it’s about empowering them to drive conservation decisions and actions. That was the key takeaway from a recent workshop held by Ewaso Lions in collaboration with the PARTNERS Conservation Alliance. The workshop, which took place on February 5th and 6th in Samburu, Northern Kenya provided an opportunity for conservation practitioners to share ideas and experiences on community-led conservation.

Led by Dr. Shivani Bhalla, Director of Ewaso Lions, Dr. Justine Shanti Alexander, a Senior Conservation Scientist at the Snow Leopard Trust, and Jeneria Lekilelei, the Director of Community Conservation at Ewaso Lions, the workshop drew upon their collective experiences from Ewaso Lions’ 15 years in conservation, experience in snow leopard conservation across High Asia and the PARTNERS Conservation Alliance workshop held in Kyrgyzstan in 2022.

Participants explored what community-led conservation entailed across different settings. One group visualized the community as the rain and the roots of any conservation initiative. Their culture, opinions, and thoughts are the rain, the roots are the community making decisions, management, and actions in conservation, and the leaves represent the concerted efforts from all stakeholders and partners in conservation, including the government, conservationists, the private sector, and the media, among others.

Jeneria Lekilelei, Director of Community Conservation at Ewaso Lions, shared the essence of community-led conservation;
“Community-led conservation is a process where the community is in charge, they make the decisions, and have ownership of the conservation activities. When the community faces a challenge, they come up with their way of figuring things out, and always respecting their culture.”

During the workshop, the PARTNERS Principles – Presence, Aptness, Respect, Transparency, Negotiation, Empathy, Responsiveness, and Strategic Support – were utilized as the framework to explore how to effectively and ethically conduct conservation. Developed by Charudutt Mishra and his partners from the Snow Leopard Trust in the High Asia region, these principles were integral to the discussions held during the workshop.

The workshop was interactive, and the team worked with Ewaso Lion staff who were also community members to define the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of community-led conservation in their own words. Team members highlighted the need for conservation initiatives to be rooted in local culture and build on indigenous knowledge. They also emphasized the need to engage the next generation as they were the guardians of their culture and ways of life.

Overall, the workshop provided participants with a platform to enhance their skills, reflect on challenges and opportunities encountered in conservation, and strengthen their ability to engage with communities in conservation.

“The manner in which the PARTNERS training was held was superb and a true way of working together with the community (in this case – the participants). The way the two facilitators, Justine and Shivani, did the training was in such a way that the participants were fully engaged and the ideas and thoughts came from them – as opposed to the trainers giving out long endless presentations. The training was a true way in which all community led-conservation work should be done (with the communities (and the trainees in any training) at the center).” Toby, Operations and Impact Director, Ewaso Lions

Drought‌ ‌relief‌ ‌response‌ ‌for‌ ‌communities‌ ‌and ‌wildlife‌ ‌in‌ ‌Samburu‌ ‌and ‌Isiolo‌ ‌counties‌

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Communities and wildlife in northern Kenya, have been severely impacted by increased incidences of dry spells and droughts that has plagued the region since April. Both the 2020 short rains (October to December) and the 2021 long rains (March to May) were poor across the region which has resulted in a third failed rainy season and fears of prolonged effects might continue on into early 2022. Majority of the people who live in the landscape are nomadic pastoralist families and the increasing heat and recurrent drought cycles has contributed to lack of pasture, loss of livestock and other threats to their health and wellbeing.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8135″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8136″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a crisis that is fast becoming one of hunger, thirst, and aggravated pasture and browsing conditions for both livestock and wildlife, the President of Kenya declared the drought crisis as a national disaster on 8 September 2021. Conflict over limited access to resources has increased as pastoralists have been moving in search of water and pasture across the region.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8137″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8138″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Through concerted efforts with our partners, the Grevy’s Zebra Trust, Westgate Community Conservancy, Buffalo Springs and Samburu National Reserves, Save the Elephants, and community members we are keen to ensure that our landscape continues to be a refuge for wildlife, people, and livestock. In close partnership with the Grevy’s Zebra Trust, we launched a drought relief programme to maintain the health of Grevy’s zebra and other wild prey populations, reduce lion conflict levels, and support communities through this time of crisis.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8139″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8140″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our team has been supporting the staff working in reserves through fuel provision and rangers rations, the community through water provision, livestock, and wildlife by digging waterholes during this tough season. We have continued to survey water levels and lion movements to know where we needed to put in the most effort. While we continue to express relief that the river has been flowing again since mid-July, the situation remains dire all around, and our efforts and partnerships remain critical.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8141″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8142″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As the world reflects on the resolutions made at the COP 26 meeting in Glasgow, we are living with the effects of a climate crisis that pastoralist communities of northern Kenya did not cause. However, we are still working to be part of the solution. Through restoration efforts of our landscapes, we know we can contribute to the grassland carbon sinks that keep the world in balance. We urge the countries who have pushed the earth to the edge to make good on their targets. Meanwhile, we believe these small concerted steps made by our team and partners will contribute towards the overall global agenda and mitigate risks faced by an increasingly variable and changing climate that is adding to the challenges of food insecurity and exacerbating tensions over limited land and water resources by both people and wildlife.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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