Lions Returning To Sarara Valley

For decades, lion populations across Northern Kenya have been persecuted in retaliation for killing community livestock.

It seemed that lion had all but been eradicated in the region, with no tolerance for their presence from local communities. This is due to a severe lack of prey species because of increasingly degraded and overgrazed landscapes.

It is therefore with great excitement to report that lion sightings have dramatically increased in the Sarara valley in the past year! The Sarara team have been closely monitoring four particular individuals that have taken up residence in the core area. This is the longest period that lion have remained in the area, in the history of Sarara, and perhaps for thirty years! We believe that one particular lioness just had cubs close to the camp, coming out of the forest to hunt at night before retreating back to her den.

We put this success story down to the increased tolerance of predators by the local communities, less poaching of prey species such as giraffe, warthog, grevy zebra, kudu and buffalo, and to the improved health of the rangeland that is allowing for all species to thrive once more. This would not be possible without the Sarara support structure, bringing in revenue for the communities through land fees and employment, offering best in class nomadic Montessori schools and supporting young mothers and children through our Healthcare Program.