The Ewaso Lions Project was founded in 2007 for the protection of
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
s (''Panthera leo'') and their habitat in Northern
Kenya
)
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. The project works to study and incorporate local communities in helping to protect the lions in the
Samburu National Reserve
The Samburu National Reserve is a game reserve on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Kenya. On the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve. The park is 165 km² in size and is situated 350 kilometers from Nairobi. ...
,
Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Buffalo Springs National Reserve is a protected area in the Isiolo County in northern Kenya.
Organization
The reserve was established in 1948 as part of the Samburu - Isiolo Game Reserve, and the present boundaries were established in 1985. The r ...
and
Shaba National Reserve
Shaba National Reserve is a protected area in Isiolo County in northern Kenya to the east of the Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves. Together, the three reserves form a large protected area.
The Shaba reserve has dramatic scenery in ...
of the
Ewaso Nyiro ecosystem in Northern
Kenya
)
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, ...
.
The
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
is a
vulnerable species
A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, ...
, having seen a major population decline of 30–50% over the past two decades.
Currently there are less than 2,000 lions in Kenya.
The Ewaso Lions Project research camp sits within the Westgate Community Conservancy, west of
Samburu National Reserve
The Samburu National Reserve is a game reserve on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Kenya. On the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve. The park is 165 km² in size and is situated 350 kilometers from Nairobi. ...
. Shivani Bhalla, representing the Ewaso Lions is a regular featured guest speaker at the annual
Wildlife Conservation Network
The Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) is a United States-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that protects endangered wildlife by supporting conservationists in the field who promote coexistence between wildlife and people. WCN does this by ...
Expo.
Programs
Scientific research
The Ewaso Lions Project core research focuses on discovering the factors that drive lion pride locations and movements and the extent of conflict with humans, as well as the effect of habitat loss. Methods include a lion census to estimate population, size and trends; surveys of local communities to gauge extent of human-lion conflict and its impact; camera traps are set to document lion activity; fitting lions with radio and GPS collars to map movements in and out of reserves; scat analysis to understand feeding patterns.
Community outreach
The Ewaso Lions Project works with local communities to find ways that people can coexist with lions. Community Outreach programs include: "Warrior Watch" which recruits and trains Samburu warriors to collect data and respond to community issues like livestock depredation; primary school education on wildlife and wildlife clubs in schools along with scholarships for students interested in conservation as well as taking children on safaris to see the animals first hand; a mobile film project that shows wildlife films in rural villages gives local people an opportunity to see the animals up close; a book compiling poems, stories, myths and drawings about lions from the local community; and a race each year to bring the community together and bring awareness to lion conservation.
See also
*
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental, and social movement that seeks to manage and protect natural resources, including animal, fungus, and plant species as well as their habitat for the f ...
*
Natural environment
The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, living and non-living things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not Artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. Th ...
References
External links
ewasolions.org Ewaso Lions Project Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ewaso Lions Project
Conservation projects
Endangered species
International environmental organizations
Animal welfare organisations based in Kenya
Organizations established in 2007
Cat conservation organizations