Elsa’s Pride Is A Symbol of Hope for All Lions

This feature was published in My Weekly, a magazine with 271,000 readers across the UK, on May 7, 2019

All lion photos by Simon Wachira

Cubs at seven months old

Life is not easy for lion cubs. 
The vulnerable youngsters are surrounded by dangers every day in the wild and have many survival skills to learn before becoming capable adults.

Threats to their survival are both human and natural; vicious snares set by hunters of bush meat, male lions who will kill cubs not their own offspring and packs of marauding hyenas.

Elsa’s Pride is a family of lions living around a dramatic formation of rocks known as Elsa’s Kopje in the heart of Meru National Park where the courageous George and Joy Adamson pioneered the protection of lions in Kenya some 50 years ago.

The ever-changing pride currently consists of three males including alpha male, ‘Mfalme’ and three females and their three cubs, all about seven months old.

One of the females in Elsa's Pride

The two males of Elsa's Pride

Protecting Lions

Protecting these three playful little scallywags so they survive to adulthood at the age of three is a massive challenge for the team of rangers with Kenya Wildlife Services in partnership with Born Free Kenya.

Elsa’s Pride has special significance for the Born Free Foundation, with headquarters in West Sussex, as the little pride honours the original Elsa, the famous loveable lion cub hand-raised and released to the wild by Joy and George.

The Adamsons were portrayed in the classic movie Born Free by British actors, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. The actors were so smitten by the beautiful lions during filming, they became pioneering wildlife conservationists and created the Born Free Foundation.

The lion population in Kenya has been decimated since the Adamsons’ glory days when more than 20,000 lions roamed the diverse and abundant habitats of Kenya. The country’s lion population has been reduced to just 2000. These magnificent apex predators have tragically joined the endangered species list.

Simon is Devoted to Caring for Lions

Simon Wachira, in the field, dedicated to wildlife conservation 

Simon Wachira, a research technologist with KWS for the past 13 years, has been meticulously monitoring the lions in Meru National Park, observing their behaviours and collecting and analysing scat and hair samples and identifying individual lions from their unique whisker patterns.

As a scientist he explains: “We do not interfere when male lions are fighting. We just observe because this is the natural order. But our vets will treat injuries inflicted from these savage clashes.

“We are carefully monitoring the cubs and observing them as they grow up and learn hunting skills from their mothers and father. We want them to grow and flourish and breed so the number of lions will increase.”

Simon was destined for this important work. He reflects: “I have been passionate about animals ever since I was a kid. I love my job. I enjoy watching the cubs playing together. The whole pride is so affectionate. The way the mothers groom the cubs is delightful to watch.

Simon is dismayed by the fearful myths surrounding lions.

“I am curious about why humans fear these amazing animals. I’m never scared of the lions. Lions can smell adrenalin. I stay very calm and sit close, observing them for hours. They know me and will rub up against the vehicle to greet me when I arrive.

“We are educating the young generation of Kenyan school children about the importance of wildlife conservation and we’re hopeful about the future of our lions.

“We also educate the local communities about co-existing with lions and respecting their habitats. The Born Free team has been clearing the lethal snares from the park.” 

At 35, Simon is devoted to protecting all three prides of around 70 lions that live in the 336 square miles of wilderness cradled by the beautiful Nyambene Hills with 13 life-giving rivers including the mighty Tana running through the arid savannah.

A Pristine Paradise

The lions share this paradise with herds of elephants, rhinos, giraffe, zebras, buffalo and waterbucks, a vast variety of antelopes from impala to elands, baboons and monkeys, warthogs, hippos and crocodiles and hundreds of species of exotic birds.

Games drives of international tourists explore this diverse and pristine national park, less known than other reserves such as the popular Maasai Mara. Revenue from visitors funds KWS to protect the delicate eco systems and precious wildlife.

I visited Meru National Park from my home in Kent to see the birthplace of the lion conservation movement, and the rocky outcrop where the legendary Elsa would climb half way to the top to languish in the shade and gaze out across her territory.

Me and guide in front of Elsa's Kopje

Me on the rock wall in front of  Elsa's Kopje

Animals in the Wild 

My game drive was thrilling! There is something magnificent and awe-inspiring about seeing wild animals in their natural habitat, at peace with nature and undisturbed by humans.

As an avid fan of the delightful Born Free movie since childhood, I was elated to be in the wilderness where the rescue and release of Elsa began a worldwide era of empathy and love for lions!

Dramatic Baobab tree

On the day of my game drive, the grasslands, spiky Acacia bushes, Baobab trees and towering Doum palms were brittle with thirst and the animals, large and small, were seeking relief from the sweltering heat in the shallow watering holes.

But that same night the longed-for rain arrived and the staff at the Ikweta Safari Camp rushed outside to dance in the wind, feel the cool raindrops and breathe in the revitalising freshness of the gift from the night sky. And the parched landscape was instantly transformed to green.

Nature has the power to revive and renew. Hopefully humans can also help return the lost lions of Meru. 

 Support Wildlife Conservation

Born Free Foundation raise funds to monitor and protect the lion population of Africa through their adoption programme. Lion lovers can adopt Elsa’s Pride for as little as £3 a month (£36 a year) by visiting bornfree.org.uk/adopt

Simon is in desperate need of a wildlife camera to record the behaviours of the Meru lions, which will assist in vital research and protection of the species.

Ikweta Safari Camp offers luxurious “tents” – beautiful rustic rooms made from a combination of solid brick structures and canvas – with giant comfortable beds and bathrooms with a bush view. The spacious restaurant offers superb cuisine while the shimmering pool provides serenity and respite for guests between game drives. 

Former UN senior advisors, Susan and John Nkinyangi established the idylliccamp in 2012 to encourage more people to explore the under-rated Meru National Park.

Susan explains: “We provide middle-range, affordable accommodation - between the extremes of high end and low end - to meet the need of travellers who dream of going on a safari adventure.”