Ewaso Lions

A few nights ago I woke up at 3 am to hear hyenas all around my tent at the Echo Lima Camp in West Gate Community Conservancy.  They were whooping and running around everywhere. This went on for about an hour and then suddenly stopped.  I went back to sleep and awoke the next morning to discover that 2 donkeys had been killed by the hyenas just on the other side of the camp.

Raphael and I went to look and investigate the conflict incidence.  Basically the 2 donkeys had strayed and were wandering  the area when the hyenas found and attacked them.

Raphael recording the conflict incidence

Remains of the second donkey

Donkeys are often not looked after or herded properly.  They stray and are killed by predators.  Magilani, the lioness, killed a donkey earlier in the year and I suspect that is not the first time she did that.  Donkeys are useful animals here – they are used to transport goods (especially when people are moving homes) and also to carry water.  But, their value is not really regarded and they are often left alone.  During our community meetings, we emphasize the need for better herding practices and how this will reduce livestock loss to predators.

Exciting news!  Although we hear hyenas almost every night from the Echo Lima Camp in West Gate Community Conservancy, it is always hard to see them and so far we’ve only managed to get quick glimpses at night.  However, finally a few weeks ago we had 2 superb sightings of spotted hyena.

I was driving through the Conservation Area when we saw 5 cross the road in front of us.  A few days later, we saw 7 spotted hyena in the same area!  This is the first time that such a large spotted hyena grouping has been recorded in this area.

(Photo above taken by Steve Kendrot USDA)

Spotted hyenas in West Gate

Hyenas are rarely seen in both the reserves and in West Gate.  Tracks are seen from time to time – mainly striped hyena tracks in Samburu and spotted hyena tracks in West Gate.  They do cause a lot of conflict in West Gate and often raid bomas at night.  We are currently gathering data on the conflict in West Gate between the various predators and livestock.

A few days after the hyena sighting, we were driving along when we came across this little predator…

Caracal feeding on dik dik

I have seen caracal twice before but rarely got a good look.  This caracal had just killed a dik dik when we came across it and he proceeded to feed on the dik dik for close to an hour right in front of us.  It was an amazing sighting and such a beautiful animal to watch.

This seems to be the month for my first proper sightings of these incredible predators; first the hyenas,  followed by the wild dogs and then the caracal!

A few days after the 3 lions killed 3 cows, I was driving in the Conservation Area in West Gate Community Conservancy, when I met the Head of Security patrolling on the main road. He said he had just heard from a herder that a lioness had killed a donkey a few minutes ago.

We drove to the scene approaching slowly so as not to scare away the lioness.  We found her hiding in the bushes very scared and nervous.  She eventually came out and got used to my presence, and then eventually started feeding on the donkey as it got dark.

Lioness nervously hides in the bushes and watches

Lioness coming out slowly. Notice the donkey at the bottom of the photo.  

My first good look at the lioness as she approaches the donkey to start feeding

This was the second incidence in a week where unguarded livestock were killed by lions. Donkeys are rarely herded and are left to move wherever they want.  In this instance, they had wandered across the river into the Conservation Area and one got killed.  The herder across the river with his cows had heard the commotion and crossed over quickly, chasing away the other donkeys.

During my regular monitoring of the Conservation Area in West Gate Conservancy,we saw a Samburu elder in the distance who appeared to be walking around keenly searching for something.

I turned off the engine and we walked towards him asking if there was any problem and the reason he was in the Conservation Area at 6:15 am.  He said that during the night, 15 cows had wandered across the river into the Conservation Area.  Three of those cows had been killed by lions at 5:30 am – not long before we arrived.  He was in the process of looking for the other lost cows.

I alerted the community scouts via the security radio and they soon arrived to assist with looking for the cows and also to investigate the lion killings.  We walked around and the elder showed us the 3 cows that the lions had killed.

Cow killed by lion

It was clear from the tracks and the layout of where the lions had killed the cows, that there were 3 lions who had killed the 3 cows.  They had dragged off most of the first cow and we were unable to find the remains initially. Later on, we found the head and body stashed in a thick bush.   The second cow had been eaten partially, mainly at the rear and it was clear that the lions had eaten most of the third cow.

Ricila, Ewaso Lions tracker, looks at the remains of the eaten bull

Eventually the community scouts and the Samburu elder found the lost cows and they were herded back across the river.  The elder was not happy at all as he had lost approximately Kenya Shillings 100,000 ($1300) as a result of this incidence.   Two of the cows killed also had young calves back in the village and he was concerned about their survival.

The scouts monitored and patrolled the Conservation Area for the rest of the day to ensure that livestock did not wander in again and also to ensure that the lions were protected in this small area.

That evening the elders from the village where the cows had come from, returned to cut up the remains of the cows and roast the meat.  Donkeys arrived late in the night to transport all the meat back to the village.

I returned the following morning and all that remained from this conflict incidence, were many vultures and marabou storks feeding on the few remains of the cows.

I had just left for Nairobi on the 28th of October when I received a call from the rangers at Buffalo Springs Reserve that a lion had died about 40 metres away from the Chokaa Gate, early that morning.

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