We recently returned from a fantastic trip to the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve. Although this provided us with a wildlife spectacle that most of us had only dreamed about before, we also got to meet some amazing people doing important work and establish crucial connections. We first met the hyena researchers from Michigan State University who are based in the Mara Triangle monitoring the hyena population in this area. We bumped into them on the road where we were engrossed watching hyena behaviour with their young outside a den. Andy, the researcher, commented that it was one of the first times he had seen a group of community members watch hyena for so long and take so many photos! Andy and his colleague from the hyena project hosted us for a few hours at their camp and we got the chance to learn all about their research in the Mara. It was a great meeting and we were excited to have stumbled upon the researchers.
In November 2009, I traveled to the Porini Camps in Ol Kinyei and Olare Orok Conservancies where I spent a few days training their guides on lions and other predators. I wanted to visit the camps again and check in with the guides and the lions! We visited the Porini Lion Camp in Olare Orok and had the great privilege to spend a few hours with Philip the manager and two of the guides, Jackson and Meshack. Our group benefited immensely from learning all about how this successful conservancy came to be and the success of the Porini Lion Camp as well. We all learned a lot and enjoyed the discussions tremendously. I was pleased to hear that the lions in Olare Orok were all doing well and numbers had increased. It is a fantastic place to visit with predators everywhere!
Our group gets to learn all about Olare Orok Conservancy and a successful eco-tourist camp in a community area
On our last day in the Mara, we connected with the team from the Predator Aware Project in the Siana Conservancy. I had made contact with Betsy and Nick from Siana last year and have always followed their exciting news and progress through their blog. I was thrilled to meet them at last. The team hosted us during lunch and we spent the afternoon learning all about the Conservancy, the important work that the scouts and team carry out and the challenges they face. This interaction between the Maasai scouts and our Samburu team was a real pleasure to watch. They shared stories, challenges and successes about their work. We look forward to reciprocating and collaborating with the Predator Aware Project in the future and encourage you all to support this project who are doing such vital work in this part of the Mara.
Learning about the Predator-Proof Bomas in the Siana Conservancy
The Samburu team interacts with the Maasai scouts from the Siana Conservancy
A very special thanks to the Hyena Project Researchers, Olare Orok and Porini Lion Camp, and the Predator Aware Project in the Siana Conservancy for their hospitality, kindness and all the information and knowledge they shared with us.
