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Zebras after dinner

Filed under: blog,lions,Masai Mara,Wildlife — Tags: , , , , , , , — Howard Saunders @ 12:28 pm

Not every meal at our home in the Mara finishes with the sounds of lions and hyenas scrapping over a kill, but one recent night it certainly did! Just after 8pm, as we were about to do the dishes, the unique, eerie cackling of hyenas and the sharp, aggressive growls of lions drifted into our open kitchen. We knew there was about to be some super carnivore action, so we grabbed the cameras and binoculars and our carnivore-loving family headed out to investigate. On arrival we witnessed the classic head to head combat of lions and hyenas in the dark April drizzle. Of all the up-close wildlife viewings in Africa, it’s an unbeatable experience of pure, primal competition as ferocious hyenas rally their clan members for what they know will be some rough and tumble. Sure enough, several of them are pummeled, clawed, and even bitten by the lions, but they get their own back when they eventually overpower the big cats with a few good butt-bites to see them off. After raging back and forth for close to an hour, with yelps and growls the lions eventually retreat, not wanting to risk serious injury.  

For our kids, ending the day with such a wild and dramatic scene less than a mile from the house is a pretty good consolation after the challenge of school closures and their online classrooms. Being stuck at home for nine onths could be a lot worse! Sound on for these fun videos!

Turn up the volume and enjoy these three videos from the night of war!

Leopards and lions in the long grass

Filed under: blog,Kenya,lions,Masai Mara,Wildlife — Tags: , , , , , , — Howard Saunders @ 1:40 pm

leopard web

The Mara continues to be one of the best places on the planet to observe large carnivores. On a wonderful safari in the Mara Triangle last month, we caught up with a lovely leopard and her two full-grown cubs as well as this magnificent pair of lions on their honeymoon. Thanks to Michael Lorentz for the image and video!

Lions on their honeymoon in the Mara Triangle from Stephanie Dloniak on Vimeo.

Conserving large carnivores: dollars and fence

Filed under: blog,Conservation,Kenya,lions,research,Tanzania,Wildlife — Tags: , , , , , — Howard Saunders @ 9:55 am

 

Stephanie collects data on lion numbers in the Masai Mara in 2005.

Stephanie collects data on lion numbers in the Masai Mara in 2005.

Stephanie is one of more than 50 authors of a scientific paper on lion conservation that is published today in the journal Ecology Letters. “Conserving large carnivores: dollars and fence,” includes lion count data from more than 40 sites across Africa and analyses to test what management options will work best to conserve lions. Stephanie has also written a guest blog post about the paper for Scientific American, “From whisker spots to paradigm shifts: how to save the lions.” Have a look and let us know what you think. I’ll certainly be discussing the issues raised in the paper this week as I guide my guests on a safari through Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti – hopefully while we are enjoying observing some of the lions that were counted for the paper!

Support the lions of Samburu, Buffalo Springs, and Shaba with the Kenya WildlifeTrust and Ewaso Lions!

Filed under: blog,Conservation,Kenya,lions,Samburu,Wildlife — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Howard Saunders @ 9:09 am

KWT lion bannerDuring December we spent time on safari in both Shaba and Buffalo Springs National Reserves. Located in northern Kenya along the Ewaso Ngiro River, green and full of wild flowers from recent rains and flooding, the parks can only be described as exquisite gems right now. The river is the lifeblood of this part of Samburuland, and the namesake of the area’s lion research and conservation project: the innovative, non-profit Ewaso Lions, piloted by Shivani Bhalla and Paul Thomson. We were fortunate to have Shivani and Paul over for lunch in camp one day – and to have their help finding the pride of nine lions currently inhabiting Buffalo Springs! The lions are doing well inside the protected areas, but threats to the population continue to be present on the edges and out in the community lands.

We help support Ewaso Lions and their efforts to address the threats to the lion population’s success through the Kenya Wildlife Trust. Visit the KWT website here to learn more about how you can join us in supporting the project. You can also visit the Ewaso Lions website directly here or get their latest field report here.

Here are some photos from Shaba:

The Ewaso Ngiro River in Shaba National Reserve, Kenya

The Ewaso Ngiro River in Shaba National Reserve, Kenya

 

Picnic breakfast by the river

Picnic breakfast by the river

2012 family portrait on Shaba termite mound

 

 

Vulturine guineafowl

Vulturine guineafowl

The endangered Grevy's zebra - only found in Kenya and Ethiopia.

The endangered Grevy’s zebra – found only in Kenya and Ethiopia