Ewaso Lions

Category: Community | Date: Nov 09 2009 | By: ewasolions

This blog post somehow got lost and although it took place a few months ago, it is still very relevant and links in well with Part 2 which is coming soon!

Visiting renowned human-wildlife conflict expert from the US, Nina Fascione and her husband Steve Kendrot and I, decided to take 6 students from Lpus Leluai Primary School in West Gate, on a game drive in Samburu National Reserve.   The headmaster Johnson selected 3 boys and 3 girls who he said deserved a special treat for doing really well academically.  I am glad Johnson made the selection  -I would have really struggled to chose the children  -hoping to take them all!

We entered Samburu and after about 20 minutes or so, we began to see giraffe, tons of elephants close-up and were fortunate to see one of the Samburu lionesses, walk in the middle of the Ewaso Nyiro River.  The students were thrilled.  For most of them, they have never really seen animals close-up.  They may have seen the tail of a lion disappearing when they were young children herding livestock, or elephants running away from villages.  This time, the students got to see the animal’s behaviour and what they actually look like.

Edward and Moses learn how to use a camera with Ricila’s help

We stopped at about 10 am for some chai (tea) and a break.  I also gave the students a talk on the lions of Samburu - why they are important and the need to conserve them.  I also showed them how each one is identified individually and we went through the various lion IDs of the reserve.  The students had many questions.  One good question was had the numbers of lions changed over the years in the area.  Our question and answer session went on for about 30 minutes by which time we headed back.

Explaining about the importance of wildlife

Showing the students lion IDs with Steve’s help

The students were really excited to have gone out on a game drive with us.  We stopped at the Save the Elephants research camp on the way back and they were given a talk on elephants by the researchers.   It was a fun time for them all and they chatted animatedly all the way back to school and relayed their experiences to the other students.

A few weeks later I happened to be reading some wildlife essays that the students of West Gate had written when I came across one written by Scholastica.  She had written about her experience when she saw a Samburu lioness for the first time!  It was a great essay and a step forward in getting the students to know some of the Ewaso Lions.

Tags: elephants, Ewaso Nyiro, Lioness, Samburu, Save the Elephants, wildlife

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Category: Other news | Date: Sep 09 2009 | By: ewasolions

The drought is continuing. This has been the worst drought that most people can remember. I have been in Samburu for 7 years and I’ve never seen it this bad. People working and living here for more than 30 years say they have never seen it this bad. Here is an update of the current situation.

The last few months have been very difficult in the area. The local people, their livestock and the wildlife have all really struggled to survive during this ongoing persistent drought. The rains totally failed in April and the river has barely flowed this whole year. In most places, the Ewaso Nyiro River is the only source of water and the drying of the river has greatly affected the local people. They struggle to find enough water for their livestock who have begun to die daily. They now need to move further in search of pasture and water including inside wildlife areas. But now even these wildlife areas have reduced to nothing. There is not a blade of grass or vegetation cover. Only dust, sand and soil.

Jeneria, Ewaso Lions scout,  gives water to goats from a dug hole with the Samburu elephants in the background

Unfortunately, due to the lack of water, waterbuck, impala, buffalo, warthog, cattle, donkeys and sheep have begun to die everyday. Large groups of close to 20 warthogs that were around in April and May have now reduced to 1 or 2 warthogs and even they have begun to die. I watched a crocodile die the other day. He had come out of hibernation and literally dropped dead outside his hole. More animals will die over the next few weeks reducing the species numbers and diversity within the area. Pressure on the reserves from livestock will continue. Animals are dying; every week, every day, every minute.

Crocodile dies in the Ewaso Nyiro

Vulterine Guineafowl search for water in the dry Ewaso Nyiro

The animals that are still alive are weak and some barely able to move. They traverse through this arid landscape in search of whatever pasture they can find. We have seen animals walking in the river Ewaso Nyiro in zig zigs searching for water and trying to dig.

A thin warthog struggles to stay alive

I have never experienced such a difficult field period and I apologize to everyone for not having written a blog in so long. We are so busy in the field, trying to help in whatever way possible to ease the pressure of the drought on the local people and the wildlife. Every day we are talking to people to try and ask them to tolerate the predators. The local people are losing everything – livestock to the drought and also all remaining livestock are weak and lethargic and get lost, often becoming prey to the roaming predators. We speak to the herders daily, assisting them to find lost livestock, informing them of predator locations and giving advice on where to graze and where not to graze. We are digging waterholes daily, but even this does not appear to be enough, but we are trying to do as much as possible. Each day I drive around and smell death and see carcasses littered all over the landscape during my drives.

Ewaso Lion Scouts digging in the dry river bed

A waterbuck carcass in the Ewaso landscape

On a positive note, the Ewaso Lions are all doing pretty well. They have not really moved far away from the river over the past few months. As the Ewaso Nyiro is one of the only water sources in the area, the lions lay along the river and wait in ambush for prey to come down to drink from the few waterholes that have been dug. They are doing well currently in this dry season as there is lots of food around. With many animals dying, the lions have plenty to choose from. However, due to the drought and the river drying up, there is more pressure on the reserves from livestock, increasing the human threat to lions and we are working hard to try and monitor all individual lions inside the reserves.

Loirish, Kofafeti and her 2 cubs healthy and happy in July after they fed on a giraffe for a few days

I hope to catch up with writing more blogs soon. In the meantime, I hope you can all bear with me as we get through this difficult period. Please do help anyone working and living in a drought stricken area. We need your help as I am sure my fellow bloggers do who are also working hard to help the situation. You can help by making a donation to allow us to keep going with our efforts in helping the people, their livestock and the wildlife.

It is now the middle of September. Everyone is saying rain is on the way and we also see a few signs of clouds building up. Lets hope the rain comes soon. We need it NOW as things are so desperate. I’ve almost forgotten what the river flowing looks like… but believe me, when it does flow, I will be amongst many in Samburu, celebrating.

Tags: crocodile, drought, elephants, Ewaso Nyiro River, Lions, rains, Samburu, wildlife

8 responses so far

Category: Lions, Reserves | Date: May 19 2009 | By: ewasolions

Hello friends,

I am sorry for the long long silence!  I was in Nairobi all of April, working on data and reports.  I returned to Samburu about 2 weeks ago and have been busy setting up the Echo Lima Camp once again in West Gate Community Conservancy, trying to find the lions, catching up with the Ewaso Lions team and much more.

Sadly, things are not very good here.  The rains have pretty much failed.  Normally when I return to Samburu every May, it is green, the Ewaso Nyiro River is flowing fast, elephants are everywhere, cats are hard to find and all animals are happy and energetic in the lush green vegetation.

This time however, it is a different scene. When I arrived, the river was still dry, elephants were lethargic with numerous calves dying in large numbers, the lions were still in the reserve concentrated along the river and the ground still bare and very very dry.

The Ewaso Nyiro still dry when I returned in early May

The situation in West Gate is no better.  The Samburu people are moving daily in search of rain (its raining around us - just not here), there has been cholera outbreaks in the region with people dying.   Livestock are dying daily and sadly Grevy zebra too.  I was also faced with 3 dead (1 dying) elephants the day we set up the Echo Lima camp.

Amidst this sad news, there is some good news and hope.  It is raining around us and the river finally began to flow after being dry for 5 months!

The Ewaso Nyiro started flowing a few days ago in West Gate Community Conservancy

I had a fantastic sighting of all the lions from the Koitogor Pride in Samburu National Reserve a few days ago.   Nashipai, Nabo and their 5 cubs are looking great and healthy.  The cubs have grown and are almost full size now.  Uni’s 4 cubs have all survived and are also looking healthy.  It is always such a relief to see the lions after being away for a long time.

Nashipai and one of her cubs looking great during the persistent dry season in the reserve

Uni’s cubs looking healthy

There is much more to report on - some good and some bad.  I will be posting many more blogs about everything soon, so stay tuned. Some really exciting news is also on the way….

But in the meantime, where is the rain? We keep hoping it is still on the way…

Tags: elephants, Ewaso Lions, Ewaso Nyiro, Lions, Samburu, West Gate Community Conservancy

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Category: Other news | Date: Mar 12 2009 | By: ewasolions

A few weeks ago, whilst we were in camp we heard that a bull elephant had died about 1 km away.  This big bull is a known individual, called Esidai, and has been studied for many years by the Save the Elephants researchers.

I used to see him often here in West Gate, hanging out with other big bulls.  The bulls like this area; there is plenty of shade, food and water.  When the bulls come into musth, they leave the area and head for the reserves, where they look for females to mate with.

Esidai fell on the river bank and died a few hours later.  We went to see him, together with the researchers from Save the Elephants.  The cause of death could not be established and to this date, we do not know what happened to him.  There were no visible wounds on him.  This is now the second elephant to have died in the area for unknown reasons.

Esidai’s death attracted a lot of interest from the local people

Researchers from Save the Elephants measure his tusks and take various samples

I have gone back a few times to see Esidai after his tusks were removed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.  The hyenas have eaten a small part of him and dragged his trunk to the middle of the river.  But he is pretty much still there, sloped on the river bank…

Esidai - A great loss to West Gate

These are tough times for the residents of Samburu. The local communities, their livestock and the wildlife are struggling now.  The area is terribly dry and there is not much food remaining.  The Ewaso Nyiro river has been dry for months now and elephants are digging into the dry river bed for water, helping the other animals too.

We are all hoping for rain soon.  We did have a huge thunderstorm last night.  I hope this is the beginning of the much awaited for and desperately needed rains…

Tags: elephants, Ewaso Nyiro, hyenas, Samburu, Save the Elephants, West Gate Community Conservancy

3 responses so far

Category: West Gate Community Conservancy | Date: Mar 02 2009 | By: ewasolions

The community scouts in West Gate Community Conservancy patrol the area daily to keep livestock out of the Conservation Area, monitor and record wildlife species and generally maintain security within the Conservancy.  Ewaso Lions has 3 scouts that are part of the West Gate scouts network.  Often the scouts work and stay out in the field at night.  Recently, they stayed overnight with the young female elephant who died in January and also “Esidai”, a bull elephant who died a few weeks ago (I will blog about him soon).

Jeneria Lekilele (Ewaso Lions scout) herding goats away from the Conservation Area, after they strayed across the river

However, the scouts have struggled to stay out in the field at night due to the mosquitoes and the cold that springs upon them late at night.  We decided to donate one of our small camp tents to assist them with their duties. Stephen, the Head of Security of West Gate, was very grateful and said that now nothing will stop them from protecting the increasing wildlife in the Conservation Area.

Stephen with the tent at the West Gate Headquarters

I felt that the community scouts needed this tent a lot more than we did.  This tent stayed pretty much in my car if/when I happened to get stuck out in the field overnight.  However the reality is that we are short of a tent now. If you are able to make a small donation for us to get one again, we would really appreciate it.  The one we donated to West Gate cost us approximately $6o.

Tags: Community, Conservancy, elephants, Ewaso Nyiro, Lions, West Gate, wildlife

One response so far

Category: Other news | Date: Jan 11 2009 | By: ewasolions

A few days ago, I was in camp mid-morning when I received a radio message from the community scouts informing me that an elephant was dying and had lay down.  Two days prior to this I had seen a young female elephant looking very thin in the Conservation Area of West Gate Conservancy.  Her 2.5 year old calf was with her at the time and was happily feeding whilst her mother stood in the sun without moving, looking very thin and unwell.

Sick female elephant a few days before dying

I couldn’t help but think that maybe this was that very same young female who was dying.   I had alerted Save the Elephants a few days before that and their researchers came out to look for the female.  The female was not found then and the urgent radio message about the dying elephant was received the following day.

I rushed out of camp and headed towards the end of the Conservation Area.  After communicating with the community scouts about the elephant’s location and the scouts whereabouts, we drove into the dry river bed of the Ewaso Nyiro River.  I left Gypsy here and we proceeded on foot and crossed the river.

The female was laying down about 30 metres away from the river bank.  Her calf stood by her, wandering into the bushes at times to feed.  This was indeed the very same female I had seen a few days ago.

We sat with the elephant for sometime waiting for the security personnel and Save the Elephants researchers to arrive. The scene attracted many Samburu warriors who were herding their livestock and bathing in the river.  They were curious to know what had happened to this poor elephant and also worried about what would happen to her calf.

Warriors watch the elephant

The young female didn’t move much but we knew she was alive because each time many flies irritated her eyes, she would blink slowly to remove them. She was very thin and her face was sunken in.  It was unclear as to what had affected this elephant to make her so sick before she lay down to die.

The sick female

By 4 pm,  the scouts and researchers arrived.  They decided to wait a while to see if the female would eventually stand up.  She could not be approached too close because of her young calf and we did not want to scare the calf away.

Calf stays with dying mother

I left after 6 hours of watching this poor female.  The community scouts stayed with her during the entire night.  I arrived back at the scene at 6 am and the scouts informed me that the elephant had died during the night. We could hear the calf somewhere in the bushes nearby but I didn’t see her.

During the day, the rangers and security personnel arrived to remove her tusks.  I returned in the evening but still had no sighting of the calf.  I visited the carcass again the following morning and found hyena tracks all around her but strangely, the hyenas did not touch her.  I will be heading back there later today and will keep you posted.

It was unclear as to what killed this elephant.  No obvious wounds were seen and she most likely died of an illness.  Her calf has not been seen since then.  It is my hope that she joined other elephants who were in the vicinity of the area.

Tags: calf, Community, Douglas-Hamilton, elephants, Ewaso Nyiro, hyenas, Samburu, Save the Elephants

7 responses so far

Category: West Gate | Date: Nov 07 2008 | By: ewasolions

I have just returned from a tough week in the field in West Gate Conservancy.  The rains have finally arrived in Samburu which is great.  I unfortunately chose the wrong time to move back to Echo Lima Camp for a week (its been sunny and blue skies since I left!).

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

Tags: cats, elephants, Ewaso Nyiro, hyenas, Lions, rains, Samburu, wildlife

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