We are excited to report that four new males (who have manes!) have arrived in Samburu. This is the first time since 2008 that we have had new lions here. When they arrived, Lguret, our old resident male crossed the river in to Buffalo Springs and has remained there mainly. Loeku, another young 3 year old male, also went to Buffalo Springs. The new males have been mainly seen in Samburu with the Koitogor Pride. Nabulu lost one of her cubs after the males killed it the day after they arrived. Infanticide is common when males take over a pride although it is the first time we have encountered this.
Since the males arrived, they have been mating with the pride females. We are excited about this recent event as it means the lion population will not only grow, but the new blood is a welcome boost to Samburu’s lions.
We are yet to confirm where the males have come from, so stay tuned! Here are some recent photos of Samburu’s newest arrivals.
Here is an update on the 4 new males in Samburu: Thanks to our partners at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Mary Mwololo and her research team confirmed that these 4 males originated from Lewa. They left Lewa in February and headed towards Ngare Ndare before moving to Borana and the Mukogodo Forest when they were last seen. Three lions were born in November 2013 to the same mother and 1 born in February 2014. And they have names – Brand, Bick, Mwack and Sakilenye
In January a new male lion had been seen for a few days but disappeared quickly. We are grateful to all the guides in Samburu who have kept a close eye on the males and keep us informed.