The animals we found while searching for lions in Kenya | Day 6

We set out on Tuesday to find lions. We’ve learned all about how the Ewaso Lions conservation group is working to save lions in northern Kenya. Now, we wanted to see the big cats ourselves. It wasn’t easy. There are only 50 to 60 lions believed to be in the region, and they can roam. There are no fences to keep them in the National Preserve or out of nearby communities.

Between our morning safari and our afternoon/evening one, we spent more than eight hours driving around Samburu National Reserve with members of the Ewaso Lions team. They spotted lion tracks, but we didn’t find the lions themselves.

Knowing we had more chances the next day, we focused on getting pictures and video of other iconic African species.

There was a beautiful female leopard, who you’ll see at the top of this article. There was a family of cheetahs, including two brothers and a sister who live and hunt together. We also found a young female leopard, dozens of elephants, and many other birds, mammals, and reptiles. Check out some of our pictures below!

And stay tuned... we’ll be back out early to see if we can find more than lion tracks next time!

PHOTOS: A Day in Samburu National Reserve

SAVING WILDLIFE: KENYA CHRONICLES

• Saving Lions: Journey from Houston to Kenya | Day 1
• Our first full wild day in Kenya with the Houston Zoo | Day 2
• ‘Mama Simbas’ are regrowing grasslands and saving lions in Kenya | Day 3
• PHOTOS: Warriors saving lions in Kenya, PLUS an elephant encounter 🐘| Day 4
• From lions to dogs: Caring for animals in northern Kenya | Day 5

Watch the entire Saving Wildlife series produced in partnership with the Houston Zoo