Lion Guardians

Category: Lion Guardians work, ways you can help | Date: Nov 16 2009 | By: lionguardians

As you may know we now have Lion Guardians monitoring and conserving lions on three Group Ranches across the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem – Mbirikani (where the project started), and now Eselenkei and Olgulului Group Ranches. These ranches combined are about 4000km², and hold key habitats for the last remaining lions of southern Kenya.

The Guardians are all Maasai warriors, working in the own communities to monitor their lions and reduce any conflicts between the local people (and their livestock) and carnivores. The guys work extremely hard 6 days a week, and thanks to YOUR donations they are getting their wages paid, and tracking equipment, GPS units and supplies bought for their work. Here are the Mbirikani Lion Guardians.

To celebrate the hard work of the Lion Guardians and the success of the project, this December we will be holding the first ever LION GUARDIAN GAMES! This will involve the coming together of all the 25 Guardians from the three ranches, to meet and compete and celebrate their work together. Here are the Eselenkei Lion Guardians, with Co-ordinator Eric, ready to compete!

The Games will involve competitions in all the skills of a Maasai warrior - tracking, spear throwing, singing, stick throwing, jumping and even maybe football! This will not only be a fun way for the Guardians to relax after a hard year of successful work, but will be a way for those from different ranches to meet each other, and gain a sense of ‘brotherhood’, to tell stories of their work and collaborate with each other.

As lions range far and wide across ranch boundaries it is important that the Guardians on neighbouring ranches get to know each other so they can communicate about when lions are roaming into each others’ zones. This collaboration is essential for lion conservation to happen successfully across the ecosystem.  Here are some of the Lion Guardians playing football on the Mbirikani plains.

As well as awarding prizes to the winners of the various games, we will also be giving awards for the best work over the year, for example for the most lions reported, the highest number of lost livestock found, or the Guardian who stopped the most number of lion hunts. This gives something for each Guardian to work towards at the end of each year.

So now we need your help! We need $1000 to make the Lion Guardian Games happen. This will be spent on prizes, food, transport, and accommodation for 25 Guardians at our Mbirikani camp. Please help us by making a donation by adding a number in the ‘Lion Guardian Games’ QTY box, so we can raise the $1000 we need to hold the Games. Our suggested donation is $50, but if you would prefer to make a donation of a different amount, please do! You just need to let us know that your ‘open donation’ should be put towards the Lion Guardian Games by making a comment on the blog. Thank you!

The Games will be a celebration for the Lion Guardians, for the lions they have saved so far, and those they will save in the future.

A very big THANK YOU from all the Lion Guardians!

Tags: awards, competition, games, Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai

One response so far

Category: Donations received, ways you can help | Date: Nov 05 2009 | By: lionguardians

If you have bought any Lion Guardians Christmas cards, please note:

You MUST make a written order for the cards by posting a comment on the blog after you have donated. This is the only way that we can get access to your email address, and find out the postal address you would like the cards to be sent to. For security reasons we do not have access to any of the details you use to donate to us.

Delineations, Joyce N, Cindy C and Sarah A (and Ruth K if your donation was for Christmas cards) please add a comment as we need your email address in order to send you the cards!

THANK YOU!

Tags: christmas, christmas cards, Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, season's greetings

8 responses so far

Category: ways you can help | Date: Nov 03 2009 | By: lionguardians

I would once again like to remind all our readers that you can buy lovely Lion Guardians Christmas cards right here on the blog! All the profits go to the Lion Guardians, so please, wherever you are in the world, buy as many as you can and tell all your friends about them too! Maybe you could even buy a stock, and help us by selling them at your school or place of work?

There are 3 designs, one is of Lion Guardian Olubi tracking lions, the second is a female lion in Nempakai’s pride with her cub, and the third design is a young Maasai girl from one of the communities that the Lion Guardians program works with. The cards are high quality glossy laminated and the message inside reads ‘Season’s Greetings’.

The cost is $22 (that’s approx £13) for 12 cards (4 of each design), and this includes airmail postage and packing of the cards (and envelopes) to your address. Just put a number in the QTY box next to ‘Christmas card pack’ to say  how many packs you would like to purchase, and click on DONATE.

Please Note
As well as making your donation for the cards, you MUST also write a request for the cards on this blog by adding a comment so that we can trace you to obtain your address for postage. We cannot trace you from the donation box alone. Thank you!

We hope you like the designs, and we hope we can raise a lot of money for the Guardians, so please buy some now, and spread the word!!

THANK YOU! Your support is helping save the remaining wild lions in Kenya.

Tags: cheetah, christmas, christmas cards, Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, season's greetings

One response so far

Category: ways you can help | Date: Oct 25 2009 | By: lionguardians

Just another reminder about our fantastic Christmas cards! Make a donation of $22 (or more!), remember to add a comment saying you would like some cards, and we will send them to you, wherever you are in the world!

Every donation made through this blog goes towards helping the Lion Guardians project conserve wild lions.

Thank you for your support.

Tags: christmas card, Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai

No responses yet

Category: ways you can help | Date: Oct 22 2009 | By: lionguardians

I would like to remind all our blog readers that you can buy Lion Guardians Christmas cards right here on the blog! All the profits will go to the Lion Guardians, so please buy as many as you can and tell all your friends about them too! Maybe you could even buy a stock, and help us by selling them at your school or place of work?

There are three designs, one is of Lion Guardian Olubi tracking lions, the second is a female lion in Nempakai’s pride with her cub, and the final design is of a young Maasai girl from one of the communities that the Lion Guardians program works with. The cards are high quality glossy laminated and the message inside reads ‘Season’s Greetings’.

The cost is $22 (that’s approx £13) for 12 cards (4 of each design), and this includes airmail postage and packing of the cards (and envelopes) to your address. Just put a number in the QTY box next to ‘Christmas card pack’ to say  how many packs you would like to purchase, and click on DONATE. After you have made your donation, please add a comment, and we will then email you to ask for your postal address to send the cards to. It’s as simple as that!

We hope you like the designs, and we hope we can raise a lot of money for the Guardians, so please buy some now, and spread the word!!

THANK YOU! Your support is helping save the remaining wild lions in Kenya.

Tags: cheetah, christmas, christmas cards, Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, season's greetings

4 responses so far

Category: ways you can help | Date: Sep 18 2009 | By: lionguardians

We are very excited to announce our beautiful Lion Guardians Christmas Cards, which you can buy right here on this blog! Of course all the profits will go to the Lion Guardians, so please buy as many as you can and tell all your friends about them too! Maybe you could even buy a stock, and help us by selling them at your school or place of work?

There are three fantastic designs, one is of Lion Guardian Olubi tracking lions, the second is a female lion in Nempakai’s pride with her cub (who you may have seen in Amboseli National Park if you have been lucky enough to visit there recently), and the final design is of a young Maasai girl from one of the communities that the Lion Guardians program works with. The cards are high quality glossy laminated and the message inside reads ‘Season’s Greetings’.

The cost is $22 (that’s approx £13) for 12 cards (4 of each design), and this includes airmail postage and packing of the cards (and envelopes) to your address. Just put a number in the QTY box next to ‘Christmas card pack’ to say  how many packs you would like to purchase, and click on DONATE.

Please Note
As well as making your donation for the cards, you MUST also write a request for the cards on this blog by adding a comment so that we can trace you to obtain your address for postage. We cannot trace you from the donation box alone. Thank you!

We hope you like the designs, and we hope we can raise a lot of money for the Guardians, so please buy some now, and spread the word!!

THANK YOU! Your support is helping save the remaining wild lions in Kenya.

Tags: christmas, christmas cards, Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, season's greetings

13 responses so far

Category: ways you can help | Date: Sep 08 2009 | By: lionguardians

Now you have met all of our new Guardians on Eselenkei Group Ranch, we hope you might be able to help support their work. These young men have turned their lives around to help conserve the lions they once hunted, and some of them are even learning to read and write at the same time so that they can achieve this.

They are all so excited that they are able to help their communities, as well as their local wildlife, and cannot believe that the work they are doing is being read about and supported by people all over the world, on this blog!

If you or someone you know, or even your school or place of work could sponsor one of these Maasai warriors, who are protecting their lions and their communities, please add a 1 in the QTY box next Sponsor a Guardian. Your donation of $95 a month (only about $3 a day) will go towards their wages, equipment and everything needed to keep this project running.

Without your support the Lion Guardians will not be able to carry out their work protecting wildlife. We are greatly appreciative of every donation that is given to the project. Please help us to continue with our work in Maasailand, before the lions disappear completely.

A big thank you from all the Lion Guardians!

Tags: conservation, donation, eselenkei, Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, sponsorship

One response so far

Category: Meet the Lion Guardians, ways you can help | Date: Aug 26 2009 | By: lionguardians

Pilenanka Sitiyo volunteered as a Lion Guardian in the Ilchalai area back at the start of the project in 2006, and showed great promise, but was just beaten by Lenkina who still holds the position in that area. Now we are pleased to see him again, and he has shown his dedication to the project by moving his family and boma all the way over to Old Donyo Wuas so that he can work as a Lion Guardian in this area.

There are often problems with hyenas in the Ol Donyo Wuas area, and Pilenanka has been working hard to improve the local livestock enclosures, as well as helping find lost livestock, which is a particular problem during the dry season.  Pilenanka can read and write well, and has been helping new KLCP biologist Kylie get to know the area, as well as translating for her, with his knowledge of English and Swahili.

Pilenanka needs a sponsor! If you would like to sponsor new Lion Guardian Pilenanka, please put a 1 in the QTY box for Lion Guardian sponsorship and make sure to add a comment so we know you would like to sponsor him. We need your help! Without your donations the project cannot afford to continue its important work conserving lions. Thank you for your support from all the Lion Guardians!

Tags: Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, new guardians

One response so far

Category: Meet the Lion Guardians, ways you can help | Date: Aug 25 2009 | By: lionguardians

We are pleased to announce the arrival of two new Lion Guardians on Mbirikani Group Ranch. Mushaga is replacing Melubo in the Oltiasika area and Pilenanka replaces Lion Guardian Solonka in the Ol Donyo Wuas area. We are sad to say goodbye to Melubo and Solonka who have both worked hard for the project, but are excited to welcome two new Guardians to the team!

Mushaga Kaika enthusiastically volunteered for the project for a month before starting work officially this month. His excellent tracking skills and eagerness for walking secured him his position even though he has never been to school and therefore can’t read or write. He is now actively practising his writing skills so he can fill in the lion monitoring and community work forms which he’ll be using.

Already he has been finding lion tracks almost daily, and has quickly learnt how to use radio telemetry to track collared lions. Mushaga is well known in his area and has already been helping with boma wall fencing and finding lost livestock. We hope he continues in this enthusiastic approach and finds some new lions in his area!

If you would like to sponsor Mushaga, he would be absolutely thrilled, and it will help the project considerably. Sponsorship of a Guardian pays for his wages, basic equipment like a backpack, pens, paper, and monthly costs such as phone credit (for making lion reports to the biologist), and administration costs like printing of his monthly data entry forms.

You can sponsor Mushaga by putting a 1 in the QTY box for Lion Guardian sponsorship. Please add a comment so we know which of the Guardians you would like to sponsor. Thank you for your support from all the Lion Guardians.

Find out about new Lion Guardian Pilenanka in tomorrow’s blog!

Tags: Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, sponsor

2 responses so far

Category: Meet the Lion Guardians, ways you can help | Date: Aug 24 2009 | By: lionguardians

Lucky Lion Guardian Koikai is being sponsored by blog reader Anne C. We are extremely grateful to Anne for her support of Koikai, and of the whole Lion Guardians project - she recently also donated a brand new laptop for our new Lion Guardians in Eselenkei Group Ranch, so they can fill in all the data they are collecting there! What a fantastic gift! Along with the laptop Anne also sent over a card for Lion Guardian Koikai, which we gave him last week.

Koikai was absolutely thrilled to receive the card. He was amazed to think that someone on the other side of the world is thanking him for the work he is doing, and even paying his wages and helping with all the other costs needed to run the program every month.

We would like to send a massive thank you to Anne, from the whole project, but particularly from Koikai, who was so touched to receive this note from the across the world!

ASANTE SANA ANNE!!

Tags: Kenya, lion, lion conservation, Lion Guardians, lions, Maasai, masai, sponsor

4 responses so far