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.
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.
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.”