The Wonder of Wild Lions

Lion Conservation Efforts. Location: Masai Mara, Kenya

It was a brisk summer morning and still dark outside when we hopped into the vehicle for a game drive at 4:45 am sharp and began driving on our mission to track lions.

40 or so minutes later we came across some faint lion tracks, figured out which direction they might be, and headed that way. Shortly after that, we hear the deep-vibrational sound of a lion calling out for his pride. We then spot this very large handsome male lion drenched in the morning sunrise, what a sight to see!

After an hour of following this magnificent beast, we reached the pride, and the greeting was classic.

From the female’s greeting, it seemed like the male lion had been away from the pride a few too many nights perhaps leaving them more exposed. There is always more power in numbers. You’ll see how the females sniff him up and chase him away for a bit. Maybe don’t stay out that long next time?

Capturing this wonderful family greeting was very special. The male lion comes back to the pride after several days, the females greet him with a question; where have you been?

Serious facts – Lion Conservation

The current reality of what’s going on with lions is shocking. The lion population has rapidly declined by 43% percent! Reports say there are less than 20,000 wild lions remaining.

Major threats to lions include poaching, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, canned/captive lion hunting, and the lion bone trade.

Habitat Loss

Lions continue to be pushed out of their home range and overtaken by communal land. Could it be possible that if all protected areas within the existing lion landscapes were correctly managed for lions, numbers could be more than triple than we have today?

The vital importance to support these core areas and communal lands around them is very clear. Lion loss could be reversed and their populations – and that of many other critically endangered species – could have the chance to recover.

It goes back to supporting the entire ecosystem at work. Animal conservation. Land conservation. Community support, growth, and education.