In July, I borrowed a mobile film unit to show films to the local communities. I have done this in the past and it was something I have always enjoyed doing. The plan was to show a predators film called “Perfect Mothers, Perfect Predators” to 5 various locations within West Gate. I started at Kiltamany village on the 10th of July. I first held a baraza (local meeting) with the village elders in the afternoon. We all sat in the Kiltamany lugga and discussed my project. I answered any questions the elders had and this took about an hour or so. In the evening, we tested the film equipment and everything appeared to be working well. We then set up our first bush cinema in the “maendeleo” manyatta, where there was some form of an enclosure. I was concerned about dust and wind on the projector and it was important to find a semi-enclosed place. We tied a white cloth onto some posts which would be the screen. As soon as I started the generator, people from all over started trickling in. I played the film and it was a huge success. There were close to 200 people who came to watch the film; women, elders, warriors and children too. They loved the scenes of the cheetah running and laughed during the hyena scenes. At the end of the film, I answered a few questions and we then packed up the equipment, and spent the night in the village.
Crowd gathered at Kiltamany A few days later, I had another baraza with the people of the Sasaab manyatta. This went very well and they were very excited about the project. That night I showed the same predator film to the Sasaab people. This time we tied the white cloth onto Gypsy and sheltered the projector against a small house in the village. Close to 100 people came to watch the film and apart from a few goats causing chaos after they heard lions roaring on the film, it was a huge success.
Leopard scene projected on Gypsy
Sasaab community watching a cheetah scene on Gypsy Unfortunately I had to return the film unit before I was able to show more films at the 3 remaining locations; Naisunyai, Ngutuk Ongiron and West Gate. However I hope to borrow it again soon to continue showing the films. I hope to eventually buy my own unit one day if I can get some funds. Funds would be required for a projector, DVD player, speakers and a small generator to power the film unit. The bush cinema and the showing of films is so important and it is a great way to spread important conservation messages to the local communities. Many of them have never seen these animals properly nor a video before. I remember showing a film to a very remote community in Samburu District many years ago. They had never seen any form of moving imagery before and when there was a scene of a cheetah running at full speed, everyone suddenly ran away, leaving my colleague and I surprised and shocked at that had happened but we soon realized that they were running away from the cheetah itself! I could spend days traveling around showing wildlife films and I hope to be able to do so one day! Imagine if I could show everyone Planet Earth?!
On the 11th of July, I was driving to camp from Samburu National Reserve when I noticed dark clouds form and surround us. I drove quickly to camp to consult with the guys to see what they thought. Joseph, camp manager and cook, said that if it rained it would come from the direction of the reserve and not Wamba. This reassured me slightly. However, with time it became clear that it would rain soon as we were surrounded by black clouds. We made quick plans to remove all the things that would need to be protected. The mobile film unit equipment, food boxes, solar panel, battery, etc were packed quickly into Gypsy. We put on our rain jackets and waited as it thundered all around. Prepared for rain
Rain on the way The wind picked up and some of the chairs and solar panel boxes started flying away. We frantically ran around picking things up. We huddled together under the kitchen tarp, which was sagging under the weight of a growing puddle of rainwater. It then came pouring down and our little kitchen succumbed to the heavy rain. One of the dead tree branches that served as a wall got blown over, bringing down the tarp. There was little we could do except sit and get soaked. We managed to cook some food and eat in the rain. At 9pm, we ran into our leaking tents and tried to get some sleep. It eventually stopped raining late at night. We woke early the following day to assess the damage. The bathroom, loo and kitchen had collapsed from the weight of the water on the hessian material. Everything was soaking wet and our camp looked like a bush laundromat as we hung everything out to dry. My tent and Lekuraiyo’s were ok, however the other 2 tents were soaked. One of the food boxes had leaked and water had got into the ugali. We’re rebuilding Echo Lima camp, but we could use your help and donations to improve camp to survive any more rain. The rains were completely unexpected and unusual for this time of year (hence my camp wasn’t built to be waterproof). I can’t help but think this is a sign of global climate change. The upside to this mess is that I saw the Kipsing River flow into the Ewaso Nyiro. It was beautiful. The brief shower brought relief to the dry parched landscape, with new growth and it was good to see the Ewaso Nyiro flow once again. Pools of water on top of Ndonyo Nanyeke
Kipsing flowing into Ewaso Nyiro
Between January and May this year I collected 17 lion faecal samples in the reserve and Francis, one of the Ewaso Lion scouts has collected 10 samples in the community area. This is an important component of my project where I want to compare lion’s diet in the reserves and in West Gate Community Conservancy. After collecting all the samples, I dried and put them in a crate for preservation until I was ready to begin analysis. A Kenyan student from Oxford University, Will, has recently arrived to help me. He has brought a microscope with him and has begun plucking the hairs from the scat and mounting them on slides. This bush laboratory has intrigued everyone who passes by camp including the staff from the nearby lodge. Many have wandered in to have a peek in the microscope and see what’s going on! Camels and donkeys that usually graze in the camp area got a scare a few days ago when they got a whiff of all the lion scat. They scampered off in all directions and now tread cautiously in the area!
Learamu looking through the microscope under Will’s supervision
On the 29th of June, I received word from one of the resident driver guides in Samburu that he had seen 3 little lion cubs 2 days ago! Some background: The last time we had cubs in Samburu was in May 2006. Since then, Nashipai, Nabo and Uni have mated often with the 3 resident males but no cubs. I was getting a little worried about the situation especially since I have recorded a drop in the resident lion population. So, when I received this news, I was sooo excited and couldn’t wait to see the cubs and identify which female had given birth.
Ntito’s 2 cubs in 2006 -the last time there were cubs in Samburu On the 4th of July, I headed out to try my luck at finding the cubs. They hadn’t been seen since the 27th of June. At about 2pm, we spotted Uni and Nashipai in the river, looking very full and content lying in the dry river-bed. I looked around hoping to see more signs of lions, but nothing. After a few minutes we did see a fresh impala carcass. It was clear that the lions had killed in the morning. We also passed a resident driver from one of the nearby lodges who said that he had seen the female and 3 cubs with 2 other lionesses feeding on the impala earlier that day. We continued our search for the other lions… As we headed towards the main hill of Koitogor, we saw tracks of a female. I backtracked and suddenly realized I was not only seeing tracks of a female, but also smaller ones! These were the 3 cubs. I whooped with excitement and followed the tracks until we came to an area of thick Salvadora bushes on the tip of Koitogor hill. My Samburu friends whispered “the cubs are in here for sure”. We waited for a while and then saw many Superb Starlings congregate and chirp away on top of one of the Salvadora bushes. The birds were seeing something that we were unable to see and as had happened on many previous occasions, I wished I was a bird to hover above and see what was there. We left the area as I did not want to disturb the cubs too much, with the hope that I would catch a glimpse of them the following day. We left camp at 5 45am on the 5th of July and headed straight for the Salvadora thicket. I turned off the engine and listened. We heard crackling of bushes and at one point it sounded as if something was being eaten. We poked our heads out of Gypsy’s roof hatch and then we saw them! 3 tiny little ones aged at approximately 8-9 weeks, playing in the Salvadora bushes. At first I wasn’t sure if the cubs were alone or not but then we saw the cubs pull at what appeared to be an adult lion’s tail. The mother was there. We then saw her ears and at this stage I knew immediately this was Nabo. I hadn’t seen Nabo since March and had already suspected that she may be the mother. It appeared that Nabo was chewing on something; possibly something she had killed during the night. The cubs were playing and running around each other. We could hear them nursing and every few minutes one of the cubs would come tearing round the bushes chasing another. We left the cubs and Nabo after a while.
First glimpse of the cub
Nabo coming out of the bushes This was a very special moment. I was so relieved to see that Samburu finally has cubs once again. Watching Nabo look after them and witnessing their playful behaviour was definitely the highlight for me and I couldn’t be happier. Since then I have seen the cubs a few more times. The wardens, rangers and resident drivers are all so excited and stop me each time on the road to say “Have you seen the cubs?”. Also, a few days ago I received a text message from another resident driver that he had seen another female with 2 cubs! I am currently in Nairobi doing some administration but am so excited to head back tomorrow to see who else has shown up with cubs. The lions of Samburu are back….and we couldn’t be happier.
Firstly, I must apologize for not having posted a blog in a really long time. Fieldwork has consumed every minute of my time. It has been an amazing month in the field with a lot going on. I will be posting a few blogs over the next few days to inform you of what’s been going on here. On Monday the 7th of July, I was preparing to leave for Archers Post to pick a student who was coming to assist me with lion scat analysis, when I received a phone call from Abdi Sukuna, the Senior Sergeant of Buffalo Springs. Abdi informed me that a dead cheetah had been sighted in the reserve and requested me to investigate the situation. Accompanied by Paul Thomson from the African Wildlife Foundation, who was visiting for a few days, I left Samburu and headed to the Ngare Mara Gate in Buffalo Springs. I picked up Abdi and Rasheed another ranger and we drove towards the springs. It took us about half an hour before we arrived in an open area and there it was. A huge male cheetah.
Identifying the zebra tracks I immediately called Daktari Stephen Chege, the Kenya Wildlife Service vet in charge of the area, who asked us to guard the cheetah from hyenas and lions and he would arrive early the next morning to perform a necropsy. He asked me not to touch the cheetah as it was crucial to leave it the way it was. We agreed to guard the cheetah along with the rangers from Buffalo Springs. Luckily we had some food (a cabbage and some rotting carrots) in the car (and crates of lion scat as well!) but unfortunately no tent (I have learnt my lesson here!) so as on many previous occasions, Gypsy came to our rescue and was our home for the night. Two lionesses approached the cheetah at 10pm but were scared off by the headlights of the ranger’s vehicle. A hyena also came at 4am. The rangers left at 6am and we watched the sun rise over the plains and the dead cheetah. Zebra, oryx and Grants gazelle surrounded us.
Guarding the dead cheetah Dr Chege arrived at 9 am and immediately began the necropsy. It had probably died 2 days ago and as it was lying out in the sun it had decomposed pretty badly. Dr Chege said that the cheetah appeared to have been healthy before its death. He sliced through the head and within less than a minute stated that the cheetah had died of a brain hemorrhage. There was a fracture down the skull which was very clear. After walking around the site, we noticed many zebra tracks right next to the cheetah ones. It was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. The cheetah was hunting a zebra and unfortunately in this case lost out as the zebra kicked it straight in the head with its hind leg. Dr Chege said the cheetah must have died instantly.
Performing the necropsy The necropsy was complete by 10 30 am and we left the area. I am currently comparing all the cheetah identity photos that I have collected this year. I knew of 2 male cheetahs in the area where we found the dead male and will soon know if this was one of them. Photos by Paul Thomson
The Ewaso Lions (known as Echo Lima ) camp has been set up! After doing a lot of running around in Nairobi last week buying solar panels, food, tents and more, I finally made it to Samburu a few days ago. I packed up all my stuff at the elephant research camp where I used to live and drove off to West Gate Conservancy where I would be setting up base for the next few months. After some discussions, a base was established approximately 100 metres away from the staff houses at the stunning Sasaab lodge. We found a suitable site which was relatively flat. Two tents have been put up, one for me and the other for the guys. A little makeshift mess tent as well and a kitchen too pretty much made out of dead trees and branches and a bit of canvas. I am getting water from the staff area of Sasaab Lodge and also they have kindly allowed me to use their internet which is brilliant. The camp is great and already feeling like home! I have taken a loan out to buy a solar panel, enough to charge my one computer, a rechargeable spot light and a light in the mess tent. Its working really well so far and I am very pleased with the solar set-up. This has all been a learning experience for me and up until a few days ago, I didn’t know how a solar panel, battery, inverter, charge controller all worked! But now I do and its great. I would be so grateful to receive any donations for the solar panel – the entire set-up cost $700. This will be home for the next 3 months and although it was pretty scary setting this up, I am also excited too. We have heard hyena every night since being here and have seen tracks pretty close to camp. I also went out to drive around and discover West Gate Conservancy and found perfect lion areas where the scouts have been seeing tracks and sightings too. Kudus are around, hyrax everywhere (there is a kopje right next to camp with beautiful views!) and camels too! My plan for the next few months is to work closely with the scouts, radio-collar some lions and hold some community workshops and also to try and provide an estimate for lion numbers in this community area. Every 2 weeks I will return to Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserve for 2 nights to keep tabs of the resident reserve lions. Below are a few photos of the camp… on the way to West Gate, unpacking the car, the mess tent, solar set-up, working on my laptop, view of the whole bush camp.
More news from West Gate in the next few days….
Thank you so much Jan, Sauwah, Ana and an anonymous donor! All of us at Ewaso Lions really appreciate your donation to the project and will contribute towards payments for Gypsy, the project vehicle. Ashe oleng (thank you in Samburu!), Shivani and the rest of the Ewaso Lions team
Sorry for the long silence. I have been away from Samburu for 2 weeks, and today, I am breaking away from lion news to write about an amazing experience I recently had. I have recently returned from Rwanda, “the land of a thousand hills”, to fulfill a dream of mine – to see the mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are endangered and approximately 700 remain in the wild. Rwanda is a tiny hilly country (slightly larger than Samburu District!) with 9 million people crammed into it. Every space available is cultivated, except what falls in National Parks, including the Volcanoes National Park, home to some of the last mountain gorillas in the spectacular Virunga mountains. After spending a night in Kigali, I left for the Virunga volcanoes which straddle 3 national borders -Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. After spending the night at a small guest house at the foot of Mt Sabinyo, I trekked Mt Bisoke (see photo below) the following day to visit the Amahoro gorilla group. It took us more than 3 hours to find them and it was a pretty hard trek towards the end. Mud, stinging nettles, buffalo dung and steep slopes covered the mountain sides. We found them eventually and got to see a silverback, a few babies, including a 3 month old baby, some females and juveniles. The gorillas moved off and we followed them. At one point I was balancing on one foot, a steep crevice on one side and a gorilla on the other (3 metres away from me)! It was fantastic. A black back gorilla then decided he wanted to pass us and walked right next to me and disappeared into the bush. Seeing the mountain gorillas was an amazing experience.
I truly believe we would have fewer gorillas today if it had not been for the efforts of Dian Fossey in the 70s. I have had a great interest in Dian Fossey since I was a child after I watched films and read books about her and the work she did to protect mountain gorillas. It was her passion and dedication that inspired me to become a wildlife biologist. So this trip to Rwanda was not only about seeing the gorillas but also to see where Dian Fossey worked. After the gorilla trek, the following day, I joined a group of trekkers to visit Dian Fossey’s gravesite and old research camp. The trek was stunning and exactly how I pictured it to be (see photo below). It was amazing to be walking in Dian Fossey’s footsteps. Huge hagenia trees covered the area as we followed fresh buffalo tracks and gorilla spoor as well. After a lot of mud sloshing, I got really excited as we approached her camp (Karisoke research centre). We saw the sites of her old cabins, the trackers home which was destroyed by rebels in 2000, and also the bamboo forest she planted to attract buffaloes near her cabin. We were very fortunate to have a guide with us who had been with Dian 25 years ago. He used to be her tracker at the age of 15. We then moved to her grave site, where she was buried with the gorillas that she tried so hard to protect. Seeing her grave, and the grave signs of Digit, Beetsme, Pablo, Kweli was an emotional moment for me as I have grown up learning about these names and their lives. It was a very special visit and one I will never forget. The work of the trackers, guides, rangers, anti-poaching patrol teams and researchers is amazing and inspires me to be a better conservationist.
I returned to Kigali that night and the following morning took a motor taxi to the Rwanda Genocide memorial. This was incredibly hard to see and learn what happened in this tiny country in 1994. It truly is remarkable to see how far Rwanda has come along in only 14 years. A great trip, one that I definitely hope to repeat some day. I am really looking forward to sharing my Rwandan adventure with the guys in Samburu. I return to Samburu tomorrow where I am setting up a new temporary research camp in West Gate Conservancy. I have spent the past week in Nairobi buying tents, solar panels, food and much more for the camp. Exciting times ahead!
Phase 4 of the Ewaso Lion Tree Project. Last week I traveled to Attan Primary School, which is South of Buffalo Springs National Reserve. This was the 4th school in the area where trees would be planted. 10 teams were formed with 4 students each. Each team of 4 is responsible for planting, protecting and watering their tree. I provided each student with notebooks and rulers to measure their trees weekly and to write any notes about their tree.
The students began digging their holes. There are goats everywhere in Attan! And whilst digging was going on, the goats even ended up in some of the holes as you can see in the photo below.
Eventually the holes were dug, fertilizer collected from the nearby manyattas (homesteads) and planting began. We had a problem with rocks in some areas and we had to relocate the sites. However, eventually all 10 trees were planted, watered and protected with chicken wire.
To date 51 trees have been planted in the area (4 schools and manyattas). I am really enjoying this project and it has been such fun working with the students on this. After each tree-planting, Raphael gives the students a talk on the importance of trees and why they are crucial to a healthy environment. I visit the schools weekly to see the progress and to check that trees are being watered. So far, out of 51 trees, only 4 have failed. 3 were eaten by goats (who crawled under the chicken wire!) and one was chopped off by a student who was trying to sabotage another student’s growing tree! However, all that has been sorted now and with the support of the school committees, the head-teachers and communities, the trees are doing well. Please do have a look at the project website field diary for entries on the tree planting in 3 other schools (between January and March 2008). Click here: http://www.ewasolions.org/diary.php
Two days after I saw Nashipai, Nabo and Uni, I was leaving camp at 5:45 am when I suddenly heard lions. I drove out of camp quickly knowing that lions were nearby. I saw tracks immediately and followed in pursuit. I drove round a corner and 5 metres ahead of me was a lioness sitting on the road. I had my intern at the time, Jerenimo, who whispered “she is so white”. And that was exactly it. This was Naibor (meaning white in Samburu), the new young female. Naibor was staring intently in one of the bushes at the side of the road and that’s when we realized that there was another lioness there.
Naibor stood up and at the same time we saw another female walk through the bushes. It was Nashipai. This was only the second time I had seen Naibor and I don’t know where she came from. The Koitogor Pride females (Nashipai, Nabo and Uni) all returned recently and I did wonder whether Naibor would show up with them? Nashipai walked off into the bushes quickly. 15 metres away, Naibor followed in pursuit. Each time Nashipai stopped, Naibor stopped and would peer through the bushes at Nashipai. This walk-follow-stop went on for a few minutes. Naibor did not approach Nashipai too close and Nashipai did not turn around. Eventually Naibor began to run towards Nashipai who turned around and growled her at. Naibor retreated and sank back into the bushes.
There were many impala around at the time. Both females disappeared then and over the next hour tried to hunt the impala. At one point, Naibor (still 15-20 metres behind Nashipai) sat in some grass and waited. Nashipai saw impala in the distance and went round but in the process went running and clashed into Naibor. She jumped over her and disappeared.
Both females disappeared (again!) and I couldn’t see them for hours. I headed back to camp and returned a few hours later to find both females sitting together (side by side!) along the river. It was a beautiful sight to see both girls together. |
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Ewaso Lions is a project based in the Samburu region. I am working with the local people to enhance co-existence between lions and communities in this stunning arid landscape in Northern Kenya. 
