Field Report: June- July 2020- "Lions and Loggers."

It was a hectic month as our lion struck livestock in the beach zone. Kenya Wildlife Service mobilised the Problem Animal Control unit who promptly picked up the lion, citing fears that the community had threatened to poison him. Not wanting to risk losing another lion to conflict, the decision was made to relocate him into Tsavo.

Ulinzi Africa Foundation believes relocating apex predators should be a last resort. We therefore agreed together with Kenya Wildlife Service that we would secure a collar for the lion, who would then be monitored closely in order to try and mitigate Human Wildlife Conflict arising from this lion.

He was safely relocated within the same ecosystem, in a different area and far away from the herders.

Illegal grazing and cattle incursions continue to be a major challenge in this area. In another incident, our rangers were surrounded by herders who threatened them with machetes after they drove out nearly 3,000 head of cattle. We managed to contact the area chief who calmed the situation down, and talks between the herders and ourselves are ongoing at the office of the area chief.

In a separate incident, our rangers successfully recovered three bicycles from illegal loggers which are in safe custody.

200 wooden poles were also recovered and taken to the Kenya Wildlife Service substation in Mpeketoni.

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