KWS – Ewaso Lions

Protecting People, Livestock and Wildlife on Our Roads

A milestone moment for people, livestock, wildlife, and the roads we share in northern Kenya: 26 new wildlife crossing signs now stand along the A2 Highway in northern Kenya, marking years of data, dedication, and collaboration.

In February 2026, we celebrated a significant milestone: the installation of 26 wildlife and livestock warning road signs along key wildlife corridors of the A2 Highway. This is not just about road signs. It is about recognising that the roads cutting through our landscape are also shared by lions, elephants, zebras, and the livestock of the communities who call this place home.

The A2 Highway passes through some of the most important habitats and wildlife corridors in northern Kenya, cutting across National Reserves and Community Conservancies, including Kalama Community Conservancy, where wildlife and people continue to coexist. This Highway is essential for northern Kenya, and so is ensuring it is safe for every user of this landscape, whether people, livestock, or wildlife.

Where the Signs Are and Why It Matters

The 26 signs have been strategically placed in high-risk areas where wildlife-vehicle collisions have been documented over many years. Over 400 animals have been killed along the A2 Highway in northern Kenya over the past decade, including 2 lions hit between Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves. By alerting drivers to wildlife crossing zones, these signs act as a first line of defence, slowing drivers down, raising awareness, and ultimately saving lives on both sides of the road.

The placement of these signs was based on data collected over many years through the Northern Kenya Road Watch. Citizen Science was a key aspect where drivers, community members, and conservation partners alike provided a robust dataset on how wildlife traverses the landscape, tracking movement patterns, identifying pinch-points and critical corridors, and building the evidence base needed to act.

A Long-Term Message

While these signs are a short-term mitigation measure, they carry a long-term message: that the threats facing wildlife in shared landscapes are real, that they are being taken seriously, and that action is possible. Road kills have been a serious concern across this landscape for years. Seeing tangible, on-the-ground action is something we do not take for granted.

There is still much work to be done. But every sign installed is a signal, to drivers, to communities, and to the wildlife navigating this landscape, that this road can be made safer. That we are paying attention.

The Power of Collaboration

This achievement represents years of collaborative work to reduce roadkill, protect lions and livestock from being hit, and ensure road-user safety in the landscape we all share and would not have been possible without the dedication and partnership of many. The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the Northern Kenya Road Watch and all its partners, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the National Reserves, Westgate Community Conservancy and Kalama Conservancy all played a critical role. Their collective commitment to finding solutions is a powerful reminder of what is possible when conservation organisations, government agencies, and local communities work together toward a shared goal.

We are also grateful to Action for Cheetahs, the Grevy’s Zebra Trust and Save the Elephants, among others, whose contributions to the data collection and initiative made this possible. Conservation at this scale demands exactly this kind of coordinated, cross-sector effort. We are also grateful to Ewaso Lions donors for funding the construction of these road signs.

Written by Victoria Wanjohi and photos by Simatwa Ngachi.

10 Years of Lion Conservation: The Big Celebration

Lined with lion jigsaw murals, kanga steamers and Ewaso Lions Banners, the welcoming archway drew 400 guests into the our camp to celebrate the achievements of the decade. The lion population in our project area has tripled, and more community members than ever before are involved in the task of building coexistence between lions and people. There were so many reasons to celebrate on August 25th, and celebrate we did.

The day began with the blessing of Samburu elders sprinkling milk over the camp grounds, followed shortly by Mama Simba ladies whose songs rang out in the midday heat.

Culminating in Shivani’s moving tales, the speeches that followed pondered days long past, lions lost and challenging times, and how the team pulled together, grew and built the foundation for lion conservation in Samburu and Isiolo.

Representing the Jeremy Lucas Education Fund, Junior stunned the crowds by reading a speech he worked on all by himself about how he is a conservationist today, touching everyone by narrating the story of how his favourite lion, Loiwotwa whom he had monitored, was killed.

For the first time in any public setting, the L’chukuti, herding children who are never recognized at social gatherings, were given the stage. Lkasian, a young herding boy who has attended two of our Lion Kids Camps, stood up. His remarks showed wisdom well beyond his years. He spoke of the tangible benefits of lion conservation, allowing people to find work in the conservancies instead of living a tenuous life in the cities far away.

After Jeneria and Resson spoke of the Strategy for the next three years in the changing landscape of Samburu and Isiolo, it was time to hear from the guests.

Led by chief guest County Executive Committee Chair Hon. Leshakwet, the guests commended Ewaso Lions for its work and the spirit of collaboration between them, the Kenya Wildlife Service, Northern Rangelands Trust and other partners. He then led other guests in officially launching Ewaso Lions Strategic Plan.

When all was said and done and guests had eaten a sumptuous meal, the warriors and the women decided that dances were in order. Having seen off most of the guests, Ewaso Lions danced away into the sunset, excited about their future as a team. Watch the 10 years celebration video here.

We send a special thanks to our friend and supporter Jillian Knox for her incredible photos which captured the essence of the day so well.

Video: Lion with Broken Leg Examined by Wildlife Vets

Field report by Heather Gurd

On September 14th, we received a flurry of reports from our Lion Watch Guides that a young male lion had an injured leg and was unable to put any weight on it. Concerned, Jeneria and his field team left before dawn the next morning to locate and assess the situation. They found the injured lion and identified him as Lengwe, the 2-year-old son of Nanai from the Koitogor Pride.

Lengwe was unable to walk; being in such bad shape meant he might not be able to survive. Jeneria immediately contacted the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) veterinarian. Fortuitously, Dr. Mutinda was already in Samburu attending to an elephant issue. More good news for Lengwe was that his pride had made a kill. Lions obtain moisture from the stomach contents of their prey; incapable of making it down to the river to drink, Lengwe needed this feed.

Lengwe was found with a sever limp and could barely put any weight on it. Nobody knows how the lion got injured. Photo © Ewaso Lions

The exact cause or extent of the injury was unknown. In order to make a confident diagnosis, Dr. Mutinda decided that an X-ray was required. The first challenge: an X-ray machine would have to be borrowed from a (very generous) animal veterinary practice in Nanyuki, a four-hour drive away. The second challenge: conducting an X-ray on a wild lion would not be quite so straightforward as conducting an X-ray on a family pet.

Getting the vets, the X-ray equipment, and the lion at the same place at the same time proved to be no easy task. We monitored Lengwe from dawn to dusk until the 18th. Despite livestock encroachment issues in the park threatening to complicate matters further, the operation went ahead as planned.

At 3pm, as the team made preparations for the darting, the heavens opened; the first rain to fall here in months. The Samburu people believe this is a blessing.

Although Lengwe was resting inside a dense bush, Dr. Mutinda was able to dart successfully. Once the drugs took effect, the immobilized Lengwe was carried into the open by a team of warriors and rangers. He was doused in water to prevent overheating, and machines monitored his condition before the long-awaited X-ray could be conducted.

KWS vet Dr. Mutinda and Jeneria inspect the sedated lion’s injuries. Photo © Ewaso Lions

Medical equipment closely monitored Lengwe’s health during the examination. Photo © Ewaso Lions

It was with mixed reactions I watched the events unfurl; it was hard to see such a majestic animal looking so vulnerable but, at the same time, fascinating to witness the first X-ray operation Ewaso Lions has been involved in, and to know the importance a concrete diagnosis could have on Lengwe’s chances of survival.

After rotating Lengwe to secure the best possible view of the damaged leg, the vets were finally able to confirm that he had sustained a fractured femur. The bad news: a fractured leg is virtually impossible to treat in wild lions. The good news: the joint is still in place and there is still a chance it could heal naturally.

Once the exam was complete, the team carried Lengwe back into the bushes for him to recover. Photo © Ewaso Lions

Following the X-ray Lengwe was given IV fluids to rehydrate him. The Ewaso Lions team continued to monitor him into the night and have spent every day since the operation in Samburu National Reserve tracking him and his pride. Encouragingly, soon after, he was spotted drinking water in the river and, although still moving around on three legs, he has been managing to keep up with his the rest of the Koitogor pride.

We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Lengwe has the best possible chance of survival in the wild.

The exam was a success, and the Ewaso Lions team is monitoring him closely, hoping he makes a full recovery. Photo © Ewaso Lions

Ewaso Lions would like to thank the following:
• Dr. Mutinda and his KWS veterinary colleagues
• Dr. Imran, North Kenya Veterinary Services.
• Samburu National Reserve and Rangers, especially Mike Lesiil.
• Our Lion Watch Guides, especially Julius Lesoli.

UPDATE: As of January 2016, Lengwe is alive and well. Click here to see a video of his recovery.

Stopping the Killing of a Lioness

This is an incredible story about an injured lion that killed a young cow and how we stopped a group of men from killing her in retaliation.

We received a report on January 24th that a lion was seen in Buffalo Springs National Reserve with severe injuries. We responded quickly by spending two days in the Reserve looking for the lion, which turned out to be Kofafeth, an 11 year-old female who is part of the Ngare Mara Pride. We notified both the Reserve management and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and coordinated with the KWS veterinarian, Dr. Mutinda, who recommended the lion be assessed and treated.

This photo, taken the day of her vet treatment, shows her weakened condition and many injuries.

This photo of Kofafeth from October shows her in healthy condition.

Then, on the afternoon of the 26th, we got a call that a lioness had killed a cow right outside Archer’s Post Gate. We raced over and picked up a Samburu National Reserve Ranger, then found Kofafeth near the cow carcass. She was clearly struggling to move through the saltbush plains. As we were watching her, she suddenly stood up, crouched low and started moving off nervously. We turned around to see what had made her react in this way and noticed a group of men holding knives and heading towards us and the lioness – clearly with the intent to kill her. We drove quickly between the lioness and the elders and spoke to them, urging them not to take action. They agreed to return to their village, where we spoke to them in depth about why the importance of lions in this area. Fortunately, they agreed to leave her alone.

The next morning, we had two vehicles out to locate the lioness. We found her resting in an open area – she had survived the night. As the KWS vet travelled up to Samburu, we carefully followed Kofafeth as she climbed a small hill, eventually finding some shade to rest in – a good spot for treating her.

Locating Kofafeth for treatment by KWS.

Dr. Mutinda arrived and prepared a dart to anesthetize her. He made a great shot; Kofafeth stood up, looked behind as if something had snuck up and bit her, then settled back down in the shade. Once she was safely unconscious, the team approached and covered her head with a towel and kept her cool with water.

The Ewaso Lions team measuring the sedated Kofafeth.

She was in very poor condition. From head to toe she was covered in old scars, recent scabs, and fresh wounds, including a few deep punctures which were septic. We are not certain what caused her wounds. We do not believe they were from gunshots; it is possible the wounds are from a fight with another lion or other predator such as hyena, or from an encounter with barbed-wire fence.

For the next hour we treated her wounds, took measurements, and collected blood and hair samples. The vet then administered the antidote and we left her to wake up and recover.

Examining her teeth.

We believe that her wounds had seriously weakened her, and this is the most likely reason why she attacked livestock, which are generally easier to get than natural prey. Our hope is that the veterinary treatment will help Kofafeth recover and therefore go back to preying on antelope rather than livestock, and that she will live to produce another litter of cubs.

Jeneria pours water on the sleeping lion to keep her cool during the treatment.

The Ewaso Lions team and Kofafeth. From left: Lpuresi, Shivani, Jeneria, and Paul.

KWS veterinarian Matthew Mutinda.

Annual KWS Carnivore Conference Held in Nairobi

Ewaso Lions attended and presented at the annual Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Carnivore Research and Conservation Conference in Nairobi from July 26th and 27th. It was an excellent opportunity to hear updates from our partners in large carnivore conservation across Kenya, and to inform the group of our latest activities in Samburu. This was our 5th time to present at this annual conference.

Jeneria, Ngila, and Emma at the KWS Carnivore Conference.

I provided an update on our conservation research and community programmes between 2011 and 2012. The update included progress such as lion monitoring in Samburu, the completion of a pilot study using camera traps, and new methods that the project has adopted in data collection. I ended my presentation by describing some new projects we are embarking on including Lion Watch, where tour guides from the reserves will use smart phones to get to know the lions of the area and share information with their guests, and Wazee Watch which will complement our successful Warrior Watch programme by focusing on engaging village elders.

Jeneria (pictured below) and Ngila gave presentations which were very well received. This was Ngila’s first time in Nairobi, his first time to give a presentation – and a presentation to the country’s key carnivore specialists! We are immensely proud of both Ngila and Jeneria. One of the KWS Senior Scientists even told the group, “It is great to have morans here giving presentations.”

Ngila and I gave a joint presentation on human-predator conflict and how reducing conflict is beneficial for both people and predators. He explained how the goals of the Ewaso Lions Conflict programme are to first collect all the baseline data relating to conflict depredation in the area and to analyse it to provide solutions for reducing this conflict. Ngila himself responds to conflict incidences and fills out a detailed questionnaire which includes information on the context, species, time, weather, etc. I continued by explaining the kinds of conflict we are seeing in Samburu, and providing recommendations for reducing livestock loss to carnivores.

Jeneria and Ngila delivered a presentation on our Warrior Watch programme. They explained how it was launched in 2010 with five warriors, and has now grown to involve 16 warriors in two community conservancies. Warriors report on wildlife sightings in exchange for education and a food stipend. Ten warriors can now read and write and use data sheets to collect information from the field on wildlife. Warriors have also been active in the field, where they have been using camera traps to capture images of wildlife and responding to conflict cases. Lastly, Ngila discussed a rigorous evaluation assessment of Warrior Watch which is underway.

We wish to thank all our partners who presented their work, and also the Kenya Wildlife Service for hosting this important gathering of the countries carnivore conservationists and researchers.

Radio-Collaring An Ewaso Lion

We have our first radio-collared Ewaso lion! On Thursday the 28th of January, I managed to locate Lguret at 6:36 am. Lguret is a maneless male who I first saw in July 2008 in West Gate Community Conservancy (WGCC) with 2 other males. We called these the “Real Lions” because they came from outside the national reserves, and were truly wild and not habituated to tourist vehicles like the lions in the Reserves. The coalition of 3 lions moved to Samburu National Reserve (SNR) in September 2008 and have been resident in the reserve since then.

Lguret was spotted in the Ewaso Nyiro river with the other male – Loirish. I stayed with them until the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) vet arrived, Dr Stephen Chege. The two males did not move much from the dry river-bed and only stood to drink from a nearby elephant waterhole and to change position each time the sun was on them.

The two males prior to darting

After Dr Chege arrived, we made plans and decisions of how the lion will be darted and from what position. I drove into the Ewaso Nyiro and Lguret was darted a few minutes later. Both males jumped up after Lguret was darted and moved up the river-bank into the saltbush.

Driving into the Ewaso Nyiro finding the right position to dart from

Approaching the 2 males (lions are on the right of the photo)

Lguret darted (see dart near shoulder)

Lguret eventually sat down a few minutes later and we were able to come out of the vehicles. Dr Chege worked on the health of the lion and took necessary samples, Raphael (Ewaso Lions) and David from Save the Elephants worked on attaching the collar whilst I took all the required measurements. Lguret was down for a bit under an hour. Rangers from SNR kept an eye on Loirish, the other male and reinforced the security within the area.

Attaching the radio-collar

Taking required measurements

Eventually the antidote was administered and Lguret came fully round under an hour. We stayed with him to make sure he was in good condition and not affected by the collar and the operation overall.

Lguret recovering well after the radio-collaring

The radio-collaring operation was a success and we now have the first Ewaso Lion collared! This is the first time that movement data from a lion in Samburu is being gathered and this information is crucial for lion conservation and the management of the ecosystem. I hope that he will move to WGCC and we will be able to learn this key movement between the reserves and the community area.

Many thanks to Paul Thomson for these great photos

Special thanks to the team from Save the Elephants and the African Wildlife Foundation for their assistance with the radio-collaring operation.