Saturday in Kenya was another early and jam-packed day for us and our partners with the Houston Zoo!
We first had the honor of meeting the women of the Mama Simba team. They work under the direction of the Ewaso Lions organization based in what is known as the Westgate Conservancy here in northern Kenya. They are a dedicated group of women who are on the front lines trying to restore the grasslands in the Samburu region in Kenya.
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Restoration is vitally important to the mission of Ewaso Lions because of the interdependent relationship between the people, the land, their livestock, and the wildlife, including lions.
When the natural grasslands are depleted because of drought or by the impact of invasive species, the livestock have less food, as do the wildlife that rely on the grass. The wildlife will often leave in an effort to find more resources. That leads to lions and other predators seeking livestock belonging to the herders.
More and healthier grass is better for everyone, so the Mama Simbas not only work to plant healthy grass -- they also search for and remove invasive species that are harmful to the other plants vital to the livestock and wildlife.
Next, we went to the classroom where we were able to meet young men in the Young Warriors Camp, which is also run by Ewaso Lions. These warriors, mainly between the ages or 15-20, are trained in conservation and learn the importance of reducing conflict between the community and lions. They are taught the importance of lions to the entire ecosystem. They also learn the methods used to track lions to help herders keep safe distance from their flocks.
The classes are taught by members in the Warrior Watch program, also run by Ewaso Lions. These are warriors whose job is to track lions each day and alert herders and the community if they are close.
We have learned so much in just these few days. We cannot wait to share all of the information with you. Be sure to catch our updates on air & on Click2Houston.com/conservation.
