Saving Stripes

Category: Lions | Date: Apr 27 2009 | By: savingstripes

Hi everyone, greetings from the US. It’s been a busy month – lots of meetings in lots of different places. I’m looking forward to being back in Kenya two weeks!

Just a few days before I left Kenya, I went with our friend and colleague, Alayne, to help capture a lion. Alayne is trying to understand what makes some lions – but not others – become livestock killers. Important work, since most livestock killers get killed themselves! Alayne and I are also working together to try to understand how lions and Grevy’s zebra – two endangered species – can live together (as zebras tried to avoid being eaten and lions try to eat them!). One of the things we’re doing is putting GPS collars on lions and zebras in the same area. This will help us to see how they use the land in relation to one another.

On this particular day, we were looking for a pride of lions on a ranch in northwestern Laikipia. The lions on this ranch are quite comfortable with people, so we were able to drive right up to them (with a little help from the ranch manager, who knows where the pride usually hangs out).

Once Alayne figured out which lioness she wanted to put the collar on (the one on the left), we had to get close enough for her to shoot the dart gun. Better to spend time getting a good shot, rather than waste valuable drugs and medication in a feeble attempt. Getting a good shot means getting into position so the dart hits a big muscle group on the animal, like its shoulder or rump. We had to maneuver the car within a few meters of the animal! Being so close to a big cat brings on some complex emotions. It’s cliché, I know but  – on the one hand, they look tame and cute and just like familiar oversize kittens – and on the other, you always remember the strength and power lurking underneath that cute exterior.

Alayne is a good shot – as the pink fluff on the end of the dart showed us – and within a few minutes the lioness was out cold.

This was a good opportunity to inspect and marvel at the size and strength of this beautiful creature up close… She was a youngish female, not that big. Probably, pregnant. How do you tell? By putting your hands on her belly and feeling for little lions hidden inside, of course… It’s pretty surreal to get the chance to examine so closely an otherwise mythical and feared predator.

Up close, most animals show many signs of slight injuries, usually cuts and scars. But this lion appeared to be in fine shape, with a nice lush coat. Truly a magnificent creature.

After we’d finished admiring her, it was time to get to work. Alayne did a number of things while the lion was down, in addition to putting the collar on. First, she collected a blood sample (for DNA and disease analyses). Then she gave the lion a unique and permanent ID by notching her ears. This is so we can recognize her even if the collar falls off. Finally, Alayne gave her some antibiotic, just to be sure she didn’t get any infection from the blood sample or ear notching. Then with a final pat Alayne gave the lion the reverser drug to wake her up.

Wearing her new necklace, the lioness rose out of the grass, and soon she joined the rest of her pride, ready to resume a hard day’s work sitting under a tree in the shade. She may not be setting the trend in lion fashion, but thanks to that new necklace, we’ll be able to keep track of her and her friends (better not tell them!).

-Siva

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Category: Lions | Date: Apr 20 2009 | By: savingstripes

Seventeen lions killed two camels last night on Mpala — wow!! Camels are big — that’s a lot of meat, even for seventeen lions! That’s not very good news for the ranch manager — or for the lions, if they continue to kill livestock.

In other sad lion news, a lion was recently found dead on Mpala, caught in an illegal snare. Unfortunately snares have been proliferating lately. It is hard to blame hungry people for turning to game hunting in a time of drought — but it’s not legal and it makes me sad to think of the also-hungry wildlife being poached to death.

-Corinna

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