02
May
Lions, livelihoods and landscapes - an introduction to an unknown lion population in Northern Kenya.

Hello everyone!

My name is Shivani Bhalla and I am a wildlife biologist working in the Ewaso ecosystem in Northern Kenya. Ewaso Lions is a project based in the Samburu region. I have been working in this area since I moved here from Nairobi in 2003. In 2007, I started the Ewaso Lion Project focusing on the lions in Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves and their surrounding areas. I have also recently started working in the West Gate Community Conservancy, West of Samburu. I live in a bush research camp in Samburu National Reserve, but I am also a bit of a nomad and often set up temporary camps in Shaba and West Gate.

The Reserves are spectacular - with the Ewaso Nyiro River forming the heart of the area. The river dries up every year between February and March and again in September and October. Most of the predators lie waiting at the river banks, waiting for prey to come to the dry river bed and drink from the waterholes dug by elephants. After the rains in April and November, the Reserves transform into a lush, green landscape. Lions, cheetahs and leopards are common here, striped hyena are also seen occasionally and elephants are everywhere! Combined with the dramatic scenery, this truly is a stunning place to be.
Kipsing Uaso



Outside the Reserves, Samburu warriors dressed in their red finery, holding spears, walk in the bush, as young herders roam with their livestock and Samburu “manyattas” (homesteads) dot the landscape. The lions in the Ewaso region are in a vulnerable situation because they live in, or adjacent to, these areas which are inhabited by nomadic people. Their predatory behaviour has caused great resentment amongst the increasing rural pastoralist population. Very little is known about the lions in this area. I provided the baseline estimate for the lion population in 2003 for my MSc. However, much has changed over the past few years and I am now revisiting the population. Preliminary findings show a decline in lion numbers in the area. Conflict does occur here especially during the wet seasons when lions move out of the Reserves and kill livestock. Killing livestock is much easier than hunting wild prey, but simple and effective ways can be employed to reduce this loss to predators, and include improving animal husbandry and “boma” design. These are some of the things that I am working on with the local communities. Poisoning of wild animals is now a serious threat to Kenya’s wildlife. This occurs in Northern Kenya as well – one of Samburu’s resident lionesses was poisoned a few months ago. I, along with the rest of the Ewaso Lions Team, am currently gathering more information on this.

So, why is this work important? The Reserves and their buffer zones have been identified as highest priority areas for biodiversity conservation and research, and are critically important areas for lions and their dispersal within the whole Ewaso Nyiro landscape. These areas also have the highest potential for loss as lions are most abundant here. The resident lions are sources for lion populations outside the Reserves and should anything disturb these resident populations, the whole lion population within this part of Northern Kenya will become critically endangered. The major threat to lions here are people, and a study into the interaction between people and lions is essential. With Kenya’s lion numbers down to approximately 2000, and tourists from all over the world travelling to National Reserves such as Samburu to view these beautiful animals, lion conservation is now very much a global issue.

Overall, we are conducting a lion identification study in the Reserves, looking at habitat changes and prey numbers and investigating the human-lion conflict in the area. Cheetah and leopard numbers are also being monitored. We have also started a tree project with the local schools and you will hear more about this in the future. Raphael Lekuraiyo works as the community officer for the project and 3 lion scouts, Jeneria, Francis and Jeremiah monitor lions and prey in the West Gate Community Conservancy.

This photo below is of Nashipai on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river. Nashipai, whose name means ‘beautiful, happy one’ in the Samburu language, resides mainly in Samburu National Reserve. However, over the past few months, she has become a bit of a wanderer. Personally, I think she is the most beautiful lioness in the area. In the months to come, you will get to know more about her and the rest of her pride members including the elusive maneless male of Samburu.

Nashipai



Anyway, I have probably gone on for too long but I wanted to give you an idea of what to expect from the Ewaso Lions Team in the future. You will hear from myself, the scouts in the community areas and also get news on any conflict that may occur in the communities from Raphael. I am really excited that we are able to write about the lions and all the other news from this area, and I do hope you will enjoy reading this blog.

So please do join the Ewaso Lions Team on this journey of discovery as we reveal the secrets of the yet unknown Ewaso Lions in this stunning, semi-arid part of Kenya. Through this blog we hope we can give you a feel for the lions, livelihoods and landscapes that make up this exciting and vibrant ecosystem.

Karibu sana! (Welcome!)

Shivani

Project Leader

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Filed under (Uncategorized) by admin @ 11:51 am   


Comments:
11 Comments posted on "Lions, livelihoods and landscapes - an introduction to an unknown lion population in Northern Kenya."
Shalini on May 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 pm

Many thanks for your informative and interesting blog entry. I look forward to hearing more about the work you are doing in Samburu.


Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL on May 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 pm

Welcome, Shivani! Very informative post and beautiful pictures. What a wonderful variety of carnivores and elephants too, in this area. I’m distressed to hear lion numbers are down, but not surprised. Nashipai is indeed beautiful and I’d really like to know more about her and her pride. This maneless lion, has gotten my attention, also. So, I really look forward to future posts and ways to help. Thank you!


Sukuma Kenya on May 2nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm

Glad to see this is up and running! Look forward to following your exciting adventures


sauwah on May 2nd, 2008 at 5:52 pm

please keep us inform on all your work with the lions, conflicts between livestock and predators. any compensation for the owners’ loss at all? and what about any incentive for the people there in order for them to live with lions and other predators in peace? these folks should get a percentage of the tourist dollar when tourists ever return.

how many lions, leopards and cheetahs call this place home? age of the lions? number of prides? how many grown male lions v.s. lioness and cubs? cub mortality rate? maneless males? i thought they only exist in Tsavo area.

looking forward to all your activities and other details.


Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL on May 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm

Yes Sauwah, I thought maneless lions were found only in Tsavo region too. Very curious about this!


ewasolions on May 3rd, 2008 at 2:29 am

Hi Shalini, Theresa, Sukuma and Sauwah,
Thank you all for your welcome comments. I want to try and answer a few of your questions…
- Compensation -there is no compensation for livestock loss here, and there has been no programme that was set up in order to do so.
- Samburu is a very popular tourist destination and there are a few camps which give back to the community in the form of bednights and conservancy fees. Tourists are now visiting the West Gate conservancy, and the local people are realizing the need to protect lions in the area. There is a new lodge in the conservancy who is doing a lot for the local people.
- I will write more about the lions of the area over the next few weeks. There were 3 prides using Samburu and Buffalo Springs in 2003, comprising 38 known individuals. However this is the population that I am now revisiting to get a new estimate. I will be working in Shaba towards the end of the year and will establish the lion population status then, so please stay tuned!
- Cheetahs – between January and March this year, 17 cheetahs were sighted. It was a great few months for cheetah sightings and I was seeing them almost every day. One cheetah was killed and eaten by a leopard during the same period. Leopards… its been quite hard to acquire a figure, but I am estimating anywhere between 5-10 that are seen often in the core areas of the reserves.
- The maneless male of Samburu! He is a very interesting lion and I will write about him soon. He turned up here in 2006 and is now aged at almost 6 years. However, I heard that 2 more maneless males were seen here last month; unfortunately I was not around at the time and missed their “visit”. They have since disappeared and I suspect they have left the reserves. More on all this soon!
Thanks to you all and I will be writing more soon.


Theresa Siskind St Petersburg FL on May 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 am

Thanks for getting back to us so quickly! Good to hear tourists are returning. Leopard counts are always difficult because of their secretive, nocturnal nature.


Stacey G Minneapolis, MN on May 3rd, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Jambo Shivani!
I enjoyed reading your blog. The site is pleasantly informative and provides us on the outside an insider look at the work that you do. I look forward to learning more about the lions in the region along with the challenges you and your team face. Your dedication to the protection and preservation of wildlife is admirable.


sauwah on May 3rd, 2008 at 4:32 pm

shivani,

i do get worried when lions are missing in action and their possibilities of wondering into other areas; usually that means trouble if not death/injuries. they do not have many friends in or out of any reserves or national parks.

looking forward to hear from you regarding the lions and other big cats. the livestock owners should get compensation for their loss and also financial or some kind of benefit from living so close with wildlife.

i thought i read somewhere that one community in the north of kenya gets compensation for every livestock is loss. i have such a poor memory.

theresa, you sound like you also are into lions. there is a new blog named the okavango predator. the blogger has not put out any data nor he gets any visit by you or any regular visitors.

okavango has a big and healthy lion population. there is where the swimming lions reside. over one thousand there at least. unfortunately, lion hunting is allowed there. such wonder; sadly cattle ranching and farming are so close nearby. too many lions have found their ways over or under the buffalo fence and met their end. some time, lion researchers or experts can only find their lion collars left on round. reason is hyenas eat every thing in sight including bones and all.


Alice on May 4th, 2008 at 6:21 am

Fantastic blog - lots of information and great pictures. Keep up the good work!


pippa on May 4th, 2008 at 10:33 am

excellent that we get information first hand now! excellent feature and i admire you for your research.
quite frankly - i think it should be mandatory for camps and lodges to provide the villagers with a compensation for loss of lifestock. as animals are the only asset to camps and lodges it should be without saying that they pay in order to safe their assets. without these big cats etc. there would be no tourism at all which pays for bed nights at camps/lodges!


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