I only got to see Kamunyak (meaning “the miracle one” in the local language) once, in December 2002.  She soon disappeared and I spent many months looking for her in 2003, however was unsuccessful.  I hope that wherever she moved off to, she was able to have cubs and live a normal lioness’s life…

For photos and more information of this amazing and unusual story, click here.

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I will be away from Samburu until the 15th of December.  However, the Ewaso Lion Scouts, Raphael and Joseph are still in the field continuing with their work.  Raphael has been busy moving from village to village in West Gate recording conflict during this rainy season when conflict is at its peak.  Joseph is catching up with data entry, and the scouts are patrolling their areas, finding and monitoring lions.

I am currently at university in England and will be here for a few more weeks.  I am analysing my data that I have collected to date, and also fundraising for the project.

I will be in touch in a few weeks when I return to Samburu.

In the meantime, sending you many wishes from all of us at Ewaso Lions.

 Shivani

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Raphael and Joseph’s house on the right with my tent behind it

This has now become a second base for us.  If I am working just for a few days in West Gate, rather then setting up the entire camp, I normally camp here at the outpost, as we now call it.

Raphael and Joseph outside their house

Reading with the warriors

It is a very different life here compared to the Echo Lima Camp.  The goats from the manyattas (villages) move out early mornings and come back at around 4 pm each day.  The cattle have recently come back with the arrival of the rains. We hear children singing every night from their houses, elders sit under trees and talk late into the night, women are often walking down to the river to fetch water and children are running around and playing.  The outpost also gets many visitors daily.  It seems to be a hub for all the warriors in the area and children too.

Kanani, a young girl who lives nearby, often comes to the outpost.  Here she is looking at some photos in a recently published article in the Komba magazine called Predators of Samburu.

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After a few minutes, I heard a loud bleating sound and drove quickly towards it. I found Nabo on top of the male waterbuck!  Watch the video below to see what happened.

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I had scheduled to work at night during this week which meant ground-truthing during the day and driving at night.  During the day, most of the roads were washed away and we came across many road blocks - either elephants had knocked over trees or the Ewaso Nyiro river had brought in lots of debris.  We spent hours clearing away the debris to get through and driving through a lot of water!

Raphael and Ricila clearing away the debris

I am quite excited - I think I have just figured out how to upload my first video onto YouTube and on this blog. Lets hope this works. Click on the video below to see me driving through probably the smallest amount of water during that week.

After that, Gypsy was literally swimming through much more water.  I was especially proud of Gypsy when I was returning to camp one night at 11 pm and had to drive through the Pukur lugga (sand river) which was flowing and the sand was very soft. I walked across to make sure I could do it and decided to give it a go.  I drove through with no problems; sand and water covering the tyres.  I heard the next day that a Landcruiser had got stuck there a few minutes after I had gone through.  Very unfortunate for the Landcruiser, but Go Gypsy!!!  She continues to be a fantastic car for this type of terrain.

The rains were amazing. The Kipsing river was full off water for the first time in months and flowed into the Ewaso Nyiro.  However, unfortunately, our tents are not totally waterproof and every night, rain would leak into them.  One night, I woke to find my back totally wet after rain came through and soaked through the mattress.  We didn’t see sun too much during this week and if there was any sun, the mattresses and blankets would be spread out and our little camp looked like a bush laundromat.

The Ewaso Nyiro River is full

With just a little bit of rain, the Echo Lima Camp and surrounding areas transformed.  It is green everywhere and looks so different to when we left in August.

The Echo Lima camp in October - Gypsy and the tents are in the distance

The hardest part of the week was working at night (I have got very used to sleeping at 8pm!).  One aspect of my research is to estimate the density of lions and hyenas in the community areas, so this required me to work at night.

However, the recent arrival of the rains and using spot lights attracted an enormous number of bugs - the most I have ever seen.  All sorts of flying and crawling bugs and beetles flew into our faces, into the car and however much we tried to cover up, they ended up all over us.  Gypsy currently looks like a bug graveyard.  The beetles seemed to have an interest in my hair and often they would nestle in my hair, only to come crawling out over my face when I returned to camp and was asleep (or trying to sleep) in my tent.  I think I need a genet cat to sit on my head and sieve through my hair picking out the bugs. One thing is for sure - the genet cat would definitely have a feast:)

A rare dry moment  - Francis and I enjoying a cup of tea (trying to keep warm!) whilst out ground-truthing one day

So, although I had the toughest driving experience, was soaked 24-7 and am still removing bugs from my hair, I am glad the rains have finally arrived in Samburu.  It was a long, dry spell and the people, their livestock and the wildlife have really suffered over the past few months.  The cows are returning home, the Ewaso Nyiro is still flowing and it is green everywhere.

The reserve is green once again

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Roy (centre of photo) shows Raphael and myself his tree

In the recent East African article about the Ewaso Lion Project, the writer mentioned Roy.  Here is what she said:

“Driving though the conservancy, we stop by one of the schools where Bhalla has set up a tree planting project. For the young Roy Juma, who is in Standard Four at Lpus Leluai, guarding his tree is a way of bringing rain to the land in future. He is the face of the next generation in conservation.”

Click here for the full article in the East African newspaper

In early September, Chip Owen, one of the project’s main donors and friends, visited us in Samburu.  We took Chip to all the schools where trees were planted and also planted our own trees at Raphael and Joseph’s house in West Gate.  The timing was perfect because the following week, it poured with rain!

Chip with Jimmy’s (in blue shorts) tree at Lpus Leluai Primary

So, to date (between February and October), 79 trees have been planted in schools, villages and homes.  I am looking forward to expanding the tree project in 2009 where more and more trees will be planted in villages especially.

Raphael waters his newly planted seedling

Joseph waters his tree

If you would like to support the Ewaso Lions Tree Project, please do make a donation.  Large seedlings cost Kenya Shillings 50 and  I normally provide some chicken wire to fence the tree to prevent goats and dik diks from destroying the seedling.  So, for about $1.50 - one tree can be planted in an area where trees are sooo important.  Every tree planted makes a difference in this dry, arid part of Kenya.

Newly planted tree seedling with wire protection

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When I heard this, my mind thought of it having died as a result of conflict with humans.  Yes it was conflict…however not with humans.  This lion had been killed in a fight with another male lion.  Apparently, he had fought with a male and bloody injuries covered his entire body.  It seems that this maneless male had died after he broke his neck.

I received photos of the dead lion and am trying to identify who he was.  Unfortunately, as you can see in the photos below, his whisker spots were covered in blood and also cut up quite a bit.  His ears also have many cuts however these could have been caused recently.   I’ll keep you posted on who the lion could be.

Dead lion in Buffalo Springs

Lion that died during a fight with another male lion

The rangers have called me daily saying they are hearing the lions all night, every night since the day of the fight. It seems the male who fought with this one is still around.

Thanks to Chris Leadismo from Save the Elephants for the photos

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I saw the lion cubs a few days ago.  Nabo, the mother, had killed an impala and all the lions were happily eating it.  It was great to see the cubs enjoy the feast and I wanted to share this news with you.  It was raining a lot at the time so I was unable to take many photos but below are a few.

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It has rained a lot in Samburu over the past 10 days…. below are a few photos taken of the reserves just before the rains and when the rains arrived.  Its lush and green now, and your elephant friends are everywhere.

View of Buffalo Springs just before the rains in late September

The rains arrive early October and everything is lush and green in Samburu

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