Winning with lions

The Ewaso Nyiro is a key dry season refuge for all animals. Yet there are too many lodges on its shores.

Developments upstream affect the water level. With more horticulture farms coming up, there is less water flowing downstream. Where the Ewaso Nyiro once flowed all the way to Lorian Swamp, it now disappears way before that.

This year’s drought has taken a heavy toll on wildlife, livestock and communities. For the first time in the living memory of the Samburu elders, the great river dried up in the middle of the year and that toofor many months. The droughts of 2002 and 2006 were also devastating for the animal leaving thousands dead and scattered.

“The Ewaso Nyiro River is the only source of water for most animals especially west of Samburu,” explains Bhalla.

“Further east, the Isiolo River and springs near Ngare Mara provide alternative water sources during this drought period. However, in the west, there are no alternative water sources. Without the waterholes in the river that either the elephants or the local people dig, there would be no water available at all.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of water, waterbuck, impala, warthog, donkeys and sheep have begun to die daily especially in the western part.”

FOR THE TIME BEING, THE lions of Samburu have not had it too bad: They lie along the river in wait and ambush the prey at their few waterholes that have been dug.

“However, this is short term for, with continued drought, their food sources will also be depleted. Also, due to the drought and the river drying up, there is more pressure on the reserves from livestock, increasing the human threat to lions,” cautions Bhalla.

“We hope to collar 6 lions to monitor their movements. To date, only one lion has been collared. Radio-collaring lions is an essential tool used to monitor the state of a given lion population.

The information is important for monitoring habitat use, especially near human settlements. Information on movements in and out of the protected areas is obtained using data from the radio-collars.”

Knowing the movements may well help save the last of the lions.

Bhalla is currently working on her PhD at the University of Oxford’s Department of Zoology.

“I plan to complete my PhD by 2010. But this is just the beginning of a long term programme,” says Bhalla.

Bhalla plans to open a research institute that will attract researchers and scientists into the area.

For more on Shivani Bhalla’s project visit www.ewasolions.org