Promoting Human-Lion Coexistence in Northern Kenya
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The First Lion Kids Camp for Herders

In February, we held a special version of our conservation education Lion Kids Camp. Our previous five Camps were all for Kenyan students. For this Camp, we focused on a new and important demographic: young Samburu livestock herders.

These young herders can have a big impact on local wildlife. They spend much of their time in wildlife areas and some deal with human-wildlife conflict while tending their livestock.

To influence these potential future conservationists, we brought together 28 children from villages across Westgate Conservancy for a week of conservation education, activities, and games. Because of their herding responsibilities, most had never received formal lessons before! It was truly an eye-opening experience for both the kids and our team.

We took the kids on wildlife safaris, provided lessons, put on fun dramas, and of course danced. Most of the children saw lions for the first time in their lives. The kids really soaked in everything they learned: local conservation issues, ways to coexist with wildlife, and more.

Read on to see what the kids learned, look at photos, and find out why educating young Kenyans is a key to conservation success.

Read on and watch video »

Samson Picked for Youth Forum

Our own resident artist and scholar, Samson Lerosion, has been picked to be part of the Youth Forum for People and Wildlife. Samson will travel to South Africa to join 33 other inspiring young people from 25 countries to engage in workshops and explore conservation and wildlife issues. They will convene just before the 17th meeting of CITES. We are so proud of Samson and know that as a conservation artist, he will contribute a truly unique and important perspective to the Youth Forum.

Read on »

Naramat Spotted by Mamas

As part of the training for new women in our Mama Simba program, we took them on a wildlife safari. The Mamas were lucky enough to see the Koitogor Pride in the park, and later saw Naramat’s cubs in their own home area, which made the sighting extra special. The women rejoiced at having such a close encounter with lions and other wildlife. We find that providing these types of interactions has a positive effect on local attitudes towards wildlife.

See the Mamas on safari »

Removing Litter in Parks

Litter is a huge problem in the ecosystem. We have tackled the issue with our Mama Simba program, but we are trying to take it further. Recently, we teamed up with local partners to clean up Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves. We collected dozens of bags of litter.

Learn more »

Video of the Month

Three years ago, a scruffy, floppy-eared dog wandered into our Camp and stole our hearts. To mark our three year anniversary with Kura, we made this video of great Kura moments. Don’t miss the scenes of Kura dancing with our warriors! View »

All photos © Ewaso Lions. Herder photo by Tyrel Bernardini. Samson photo by Kris Norvig.