Lion Guardians

Osewan is a re-known thicket that extends well beyond the jurisdiction of Lion Guardians. The Maasai section that inhabit most of this area are called Matapato and are yet to benefit from the fruits of conservation, thus highly intolerant to predators that kill their livestock. This is the same area in which one of our most beloved, well behaved and friendly female lions, Nosioki, and her cub were poisoned in October of last year. Even though, together with other stakeholders, we convened several community meetings in an effort to eradicate poisoning, we are still worried.

Nooldoinyo

Pua, the resident male lion of Nosioki’s pride and the male cub that mysteriously survived the poisoning incident, have both been a permanent feature in this particular area, probably believing that Nosioki will one day suddenly show up. A few days ago, they were joined by 5 sub-adults from a female called Nooldoinyo, who also receives occasional visits from Pua. When these youngsters make a kill, they roar in an effort to invite their mother to the party and at times, they are known to even roar during the day. From our experience, this could invite trouble because every livestock lost will be attributed to them and retaliation might not be far off! Just a few days ago, they killed 10 goat kids in the same area and the 11^th kid escaped by climbing a very tall ant-hill to outwit these youngsters. Understandably, people were not happy but we managed to cool them down.

Pua the resident male of Noisoki's pride

Another group of lions from Eselenkei Group Ranch, who are also Nosioki’s off-spring, are known to inhabit part of this thick bush in Osewan. A male lion called Manenkop from Selenkay Conservancy has been making occasional visits in search of company but has now been there for the last 2 months. This brings the total population of lions in this particular communal area to a staggering figure of 11! This is an immensely high concentration of lions in a communal area without adequate monitoring. This is the same area in which we lost five lions in a span of six months last year. We therefore urgently need money to immediately employ at least 3 Lion Guardians from the Matapato section to monitor this area in which our current guardians are restricted. The protection and safety of this significant proportion of lions that we monitor will now depend on your willingness and ability to be part of the solution.

Manenkop

After our female lion Nosioki and her female cub were poisoned in Osewan in Matapato outside our jurisdiction, we thought that was the end for this pride. The white poisonous substance obtained from Tanzania that was used is so lethal; we thought nothing will be spared. The male cub that survived was barely a year and even though cubs are normally weaned by 8 months, they are not independent of adults until 18 months and we therefore gave him zero chance to survive on his own.

Nosioki's male cub

Having mysteriously survived the lethal poison, the Lion Guardians have been on the lookout for him. His tracks have consistently been seen by our Lion Guardian Sitonik, but because he stayed on his own for so long we were still concerned for his future. Despite the fact that the elders banned poisoning in the area, our investigations revealed that another product called Red cat, which is used to eradicate rodents and is easily available in Kenya, has reportedly been used on cats to cause maximum death. It has also been tested by people in the area on dogs to deadly effect!

Sitonik with Nosioki's poisoned daughter

As a result of the on-going short rains, Osewan area has received a substantial amount of rain, causing an influx of both livestock and people. Lion Guardians were instructed to be extra vigil. A few days ago, Sitonik reported seeing clear tracks of Pua, who was the male in Nosioki’s pride, with a cub moving away from the area towards the hills. This is a very important revelation because the male cub will now stand a better chance of survival under the custody of his father than on its own! We will continue to keep you updated on his progress.

Pua

After the poisoning of Nosioki and her cub, there was a meeting yesterday in Matapato to discuss the incident. People were calm since the two suspects that had been arrested a few days prior were released on the eve of the meeting in a surprise move by KWS. Before the release the Group Ranch was furious, they didn’t know arrests were possible due to the fact that previously, 3 lions had been killed in this area with no arrests made. Therefore, they were very happy for the release.  The elders from the Group Ranch where the suspects come from begged for forgiveness of the conservationists present ( MPT, Big Life Foundation, Lion Guardians, and KWS) while vowing such an incident will never take place again. They decried the act saying it was cowardly and has no place in the Maasai tradition, saying instead ’when a brave Maasai is annoyed he uses his spear’.

Conflict-resolution meeting

During the meeting, the elders revealed that a few months ago unbeknownst to us, they decided to set aside Osewan (a thicket full of different wildlife species) as a conservancy with an elected committee in order to receive an income. They invited several conservation stakeholders present (those mentioned above) to work closely with them to help increase levels of tolerance towards wildlife and to develope this fledgling conservancy still in its nascent stage. They announced to all and sundry that they will curse anyone who will use poisoning within their territory and will hand him over to the authorities for possible prosecution. Two District Wardens present also decried the use of poison and lion killing in the area in general.

Cremation of Nosioki and her cub

Leaders from both Olgulului Group Ranch and Mailua Group Ranch were present in the well attended meeting that recognized the critical role and vigilance by the Lion Guardians in the field. This was a very good meeting considering the usual tempers that flare wherever the agenda is livestock-lion related. We left the meeting with mixed feelings, worried with the precedent that will be set by the sudden release of suspects but buoyed by the glimmer of hope that a  conservancy will bring to the future of the area. Whether this will happen or not, only time will tell.

My fears have now been validated. I regret to inform you that Nosioki, our motherly female lioness is no more! A few days ago, I wrote about the lion-livestock conflict in Osewan. This area has been of great concern to the Lion Guardians given the fact that it is just outside of Lion Guardian zones, on a neighboring Group Ranch, where the environment is rife with conflict. Lions have consistently been killing livestock in this thick area which was acting as a sanctuary for both livestock and wildlife. However, yesterday, 7 weak sheep that usually graze nearby got lost. They were found dead having been killed by hyenas based on the pattern of the killing. The carcasses were then laced with a white substance that is known to originate from Tanzania.

Poisoned sheep carcass

In the early hours of the morning, Nosioki and her cubs came across the carcasses and ate. The first female cub died instantly and our Lion Guardians found her and reported it immediately.

Lion Guardian Sitonik with Nosioki's dead cub

As they were relaying the information to us, Nosioki was kicking and taking her last breath. We found her dead shortly thereafter. Two vultures that had been perched on top of a nearby tree, later dropped dead, as well as countless flies. We assembled all the sheep, vultures and lion carcasses and burned them in order to prevent anymore death.

Sitonik with Nosioki

One male cub was still alive in the thicket and he ran away from us as we approached, a sign of being alert. Pua Mederi, the big male lion in the pride was fortunately not around and the cub might have been lucky. Our Lion Guardians are out today to look for his signal. However, with the male cub being barely a year, his fate is almost certain to be over.

The picture of Nosioki with her head facing down was clearly a sight to behold! I have never seen anything like this before. This was not just another lion to me. It was Nosioki, an individual that has been known to us for the last two years. She was part of the pride of Eselenkei community and owing to her good reputation of not killing livestock she was well liked. However, recently, since moving to a new area less tolerant of wildlife in general and predators in particular, she developed a trait of being a constant livestock killer.

Sitonik and Eric with Nosioki

Personnel from Kenya Wildlife Service later joined us but did not take any action saying the area is out of their Amboseli jurisdiction. The culprit is well known so we urge that action be taken against him- The killing has to stop. Without any action being taken against the culprit, many predators will disappear since this is the fourth lion to be killed in the area. Already, the future of Amboseli National Park hangs in the balance as animal migratory corridors and dispersal areas are being sold off. Add this to a continuous and systematic decimation of the dwindling lion population due to poisoning across the border in Tanzania and on the outlying Group Ranches, the fear of Amboseli becoming one big dust bowl will soon be real. God forbid!

Lion Guardians urgently need  your help and support to expand into this critical area. Please take a few minutes to make a donation now, and help the Lion Guardians protect other lions from the same fate of Nosioki and her cubs.

Nosioki, a lion that normally resides in Eselenkei Group Ranch, has for the past year found sanctuary with her cubs in an area called Osewan. Due to its dense environment, it is an ideal area for any lion wanting to raise cubs to maturity. After giving birth to her cubs, Nosioki, a favorite lion for many given the fact that she rarely kills livestock, started portraying a different behavior. Now , along with her cubs who are approaching the one year mark, she has begun killing livestock that come to Osewan in search of pasture.

Nosioki

The killing spree has been so consistent that it has angered people a great deal. Just a few days ago, with the help of her two cubs and one male lion, 8 shoats (Maasai herd smaller livestock such as goats and sheep together, hence the term shoats) were killed in the area. In the past, people were unsuccessful at tracking her down and killing her, due to the thickness of the forest. This time the local people have decided to use a different tactic. They placed the carcass of a poison laced goat in an area where they were sure Nosioki would find it. They then threatened our Lion Guardians present and told everybody to go home. Thanks to our dedicated Lion Guardians, we were informed immediately. Under the cover of darkness, we took the poisoned carcass and burned it under the watchful eyes of the game scouts of MPT stationed close by.

Poison laced goat

The following morning, when the people returned and saw that the carcass had been removed and no lion was dead, tempers flared. After some discussion, they cooled down but still seemed determined to employ the same tactic in the future with the hope of eliminating these lions from their midst. The danger is not only in losing Nosioki, but in losing all five of these lions, who always stay together. Even now, as I finish writing this blog, we have just received a report that she has again killed another goat. The situation is under control because the goat was killed on our side of the border, but from the look of things, if Nosioki continues to kill livestock across the border, her days are clearly numbered.

Nosioki at sunset

Now, more than ever the Lion Guardians need your help.  By making a donation today you will help provide the funding the Lion Guardians need to expand to Tanzania and continue to protect these lions under their care.

Fossil records reveal that more than 20 hyena species roamed the earth as recently as 10 million years ago but most of these species are now extinct.  Currently, only four extant members of the carnivore Hyaenidae exist, the spotted, brown and striped hyenas, and aardwolves.  Brown hyenas are only found in South Africa, while striped hyenas and aardwolves are widespread in East Africa.  Because these animals are usually strictly nocturnal and forage alone, they are seldom seen.

By contrast, spotted hyenas, the largest and most gregarious of the extant hyenas, live in social groups or “clans”. They are the most adaptable of the large carnivores and biologists regard them as by far the most interesting carnivores and find that they can be quite lovable. They can equally be difficult to live with and are considered a costly nuisance to pastoralists. Their only threats are lions and humans. However, it is the human factor that is developing a worrying trend.

In the last two months, I have analyzed three incidents.  First, on different occasions, six goats and a cow were killed by spotted hyenas inside human settlements. Their carcasses were poisoned with the pesticide carbofuran and two hyenas and a dog died after eating the tainted meat.

A poisoned Hyena

Then, a few weeks later, hyenas preyed upon three shoats and, once again, carbofuran was mixed with blood and placed on strategic paths resulting in the deaths of five hyenas and four vultures. And lastly, a cow that was giving birth was killed by hyenas, but on this occasion a pesticide called Bulldock was left on the carcass; luckily, nothing died. However, this retaliatory poisoning has the potential to indiscriminately kill any and all scavengers attracted to the bait.

Carbofuran, sold as Furadan, is an agricultural pesticide banned in the United States and Europe because of its toxicity.  In Kenya, it has been used to exterminate large carnivores and vultures. It is no longer sold here, but people in southern Kenya are able to get it over the border in Tanzania.  All committed conservationists should lobby for alternative eco-friendly pesticides for use in agriculture. I must admit that as a Maasai pastoralist, spotted hyena is not my favorite species and possibly misconceptions held by many people about hyenas represent a huge threat to their long-term survival.  The spotted hyena is currently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature [IUCN] as “Lower Risk”, and this species persists throughout much of its historic range, a fact attributed to its enormous behavioral and ecological adaptability. Despite their nuisance, they might prove useful as ‘sentinel’ or an effective ‘indicator’ species for monitoring critical components and overall health of African ecosystems.

Hyena facts presented in this post were cited from:

IUCN Hyaena Specialist Group website - http://www.hyaenidae.org/

Holekamp, Kay E. (2010). “Spotted hyenas: Misunderstood indicators of ecosystem health”. Swara 2010:04 Oct/Dec

For the past month, conservationist within the Amboseli ecosystem were jubilant following the arrest in Tanzania of an infamous elephant poacher who managed to escape with a broken elbow after two of his accomplices were killed in Kenya as they try to waylay a herd of elephants armed with an automatic rifle. The network of informers from both countries, working in conjunction with authorities and MPT’s Big Life Foundation supported community game scouts, played a critical role in bringing to account one of the most wanted gang leaders along this porous stretch of border. It as a welcome relief for elephant lovers that the 22 years of poaching activities for this feared criminal are finally over.

But no sooner had we finished celebrating than another incident reared its ugly head. Two lions who are known to frequent Amboseli National Park in Kenya were poisoned with Furadan just one kilometer into Tanzania

In the first incident, a female lion was poisoned after killing a cow. The culprits removed her skin, teeth and claws. These valuable parts are worth a lot of money on the black market. Four hyenas and a vulture also died after feeding on the carcass of the poisoned lion.

The Lion's mutilated carcass

Then, on January 18^th, four lions (a large maned male and three sub-adult females) killed a milking cow belonging to the same owner as the first incident. The dead cow was skinned and several slabs of meat were removed, sprinkled with Furadan and then placed on ‘strategic” paths and trails for “maximum impact”.  The remainder of the carcass was poisoned and left for scavengers.  Many people first thought all the four lions ate the poisoned meat but our investigations revealed otherwise. It seems that only the male lion returned to the carcass. He ate the meat and died shortly thereafter.  Once again, the skin, teeth and claws were removed from his body, after which the culprits sprinkled more Furadan over the remains!  The three lucky females were later seen resting under a tree and looked healthy and completely oblivious to what had happened to their male companion. Our Lion Guardian team’s investigation found that the lion tracks before the incident showed these lions had crossed over form Kenya into Tanzania. We strongly believe that these two dead lions are from Amboseli.

The blue granules of Furadan are visible on the carcass

Even though the incident was first reported to us by AWF supported scouts in Tanzania, and the zonal warden of TANAPA in Tanzania as well as a few rangers provided an escort to our investigating Lion Guardian team, these porous border need more than casual monitoring. We appreciate the efforts of KWS Amboseli, but they have their hands full battling the recent serious outbreak in poaching in the region.  The different legal and enforcement regimes from both countries need to be harmonized to more effectively capture and prosecute these killers.  The lack of enforcement by the Tanzanian wildlife authorities with regards to the illegal hunting and killing of different wildlife species leaves a lot to be desired. Already, rumors have been circulating that any Kenyan entering Tanzania to follow up on any incidents will be arrested or beaten-up by the local community. The so-called “East African Community Spirit” is coming under severe testing. As the Lion Guardians have been so effective at mitigating conflict and stopping lion killing in Kenya, we would like to recruit some Lion Guardians on the Tanzanian side of the Amboseli border in an attempt to prevent any further carnivore poisonings.

Photos ©2011 Patrick Sayialel

Amboseli National Park has been severely suffering during the drought that has affected the whole of the Amboseli ecosystem, including Mbirikani, Eselenkei and Olgulului Group Ranches where the Lion Guardians work. Many hundreds, if not thousands of wild herbivores have been dying and moving away from the area, leaving it severely lacking in prey for lions and hyenas.

The carnivores have been turning to Maasai livestock instead, as their natural prey is so limited. Conflict and tension is high, and the Lion Guardians in the area have been doing all they can to reduce retaliatory attacks from herders against the carnivores. It has been an extremely busy time for the Lion Guardians who are still on high alert.

However, the huge area of Olgulului, south of Ambosli National Park is not covered by the project yet, and tension is extremely high, with lion hunts ever imminent – a worrying situation, which has unfortunately led to a number of lion attacks, and some deaths (see Lion Guardians blog and Maasailand Preservation Trust’s blog).

In order to reduce this, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) have started to relocate zebras and wildebeest from Naivasha to Amboseli, to provide some natural prey for the carnivores. We hope that this will indeed help to reduce conflict between predators and people, but we also must start to employ Lion Guardians – members of the Maasai communities to work with their families and friends to protect their livestock better, educate them about the importance of carnivores, and monitor the lions in the area.

Please help us to do this by making a donation to the Lion Guardians project on this blog, or raising awareness about the Lion Guardians by telling your friends and spreading the word!

Thank you!

Last night CBS showed the follow up to their 60 minutes program on the misuse of Furadan, to poison lions and other wildlife in Kenya. Click here to read about the program and watch the video.

We are very grateful to CBS for publicizing the devastating effects that Furadan poisoning has had on lions and other African wildlife. Until the 60 minutes program aired, the manufacturer of Furadan had consistently denied all the evidence of massive wildlife deaths due to its misuse. Immediately following the broadcast, they withdrew it from the Kenya market and farmers have switched to less dangerous products for legitimate pest control needs.

This was a tremendous victory for conservation, but carbofuran, the generic version of Furadan, is made by other companies and can be imported under different trade names. Carbofuran is banned in Europe, and in the process of being banned in the US.

We and other conservationists insist that the governments of Kenya and other countries must take the essential further step of banning the importation and manufacture of carbofuran under any name.

Wildlife in Africa is declining rapidly due to human population growth and lack of effective conservation measures. Banning lethal poisons is one simple step by which governments can protect their dwindling natural resources.

We have just heard the news that Furadan, the agricultural chemical and poison that is being used to kill wildlife, in particular hyenas, lions and vultures, has been withdrawn from sale in the areas of Africa where there are predators. Distributors have been asked to buy back stocks and we hope that it will no longer be on the shelves within 8 weeks! We hope we will never again have to see any beautiful lions in this state again.

This is fantastic news, and we are all looking forward to the day when we can go into a shop and ask for Furadan, and will not be able to purchase it. We are sending people out today to ask whether it is still available and see whether the shops have heard any news about its withdrawal. I’ll let you know what we find out.

Well done to everyone at Wildlife Direct and CBS 60 minutes who brought this story to the attention of the general public.