A novel conservation project in Kenya’s Maasailand is employing the lion’s greatest enemy to conserve, rather than kill, lions.
In Maasailand, the biggest threat to lions is retaliatory and traditional spearing by Maasai warriors. However, an innovative approach to lion conservation is now paying Maasai warriors to protect lions.
Lion Guardians
Living with Lions (LWL), a research and conservation group in Kenya, started the Lion Guardians project in 2006 in response to the slaughtering of over 150 lions in the Amboseli-Tsavo ecosystem since 2001. Lion Guardians is a collaborative effort with the local communities of Mbirikani Group Ranch, and the Maasailand Preservation Trust. The project’s goal is to secure a sustainable future for carnivore conservation.
One of the many challenges for LWL was to figure out how the concept of lion conservation could be embraced by the Maasai – since traditional lion killing is an important part of Maasai culture and history.
Leela Haazah, Lion Guardians Director, said via email correspondence that a project like Lion Guardians depends on building trust with the local communities first. Then, the project can be framed around the culture and traditions of the local people.
And of course the foundational elements of any community conservation project is to ensure that communities feel ownership over the project through participation, while also encouraging local capacity-building, so there is a sustainability element within the project.
Haazah also shared that participation has been the project’s key to success.
Lion Guardians is a highly participatory project. Even the name was selected by the Guardians themselves.
The Lion Guardians have even given each collared lion a Maasai name.
About Rhishja Cota-Larson
“The project’s goal is to secure a sustainable future for carnivore conservation” ??
What ?! “carnivore conservation” is worried that it could work itself out of a job ? Oh that would be just tooo bad !
Do we really want a world without Lions (even if they are carnivores)? It’s so great to see a project developed and run by the local people affected. Read the Lion Guardians blog at http://lionguardians.wildlifedirect.org/ You can also donate to support their wonderful work.
From the author:
Thank you, Pat. I personally think Lion Guardians is an excellent concept – and there is certainly an urgent need in the world for new conservation strategies!