LIONS

Pride of Meru – Tier 1

Meru Conservation Area, Kenya

The lions of Meru are at threat from ‘human-carnivore conflict’ – interactions between people and carnivores that result in negative outcomes for either or both parties Lions and other carnivores, including leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas and African wild dogs can attack and kill livestock kept by pastoralists in the Meru Conservation Area, and people may engage in retaliatory killings, particularly of lions Lions are also highly threatened by habitat loss, as expansion for agriculture and settlements occurs at a rapid rate. It is therefore vital to introduce simple, effective and humane conservation solutions in collaboration with local communities and our long-term partners at the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Meru is Born Free’s heartland, where our charity’s inspiration Elsa the lioness returned to the wild, and now an area of major focus for our work. The Born Free-run initiative, Pride of Meru, monitors the lion population of Meru National Park and works with communities to nurture tolerance and introduce mitigation measures to reduce human-wildlife conflict. A reduction in predation by carnivores can increase tolerance and promote co existence between people and Meru’s lion population