Being face-to-face with a lion will always send shivers down your spine. It’s quite literally human nature.
It’s part of the reason lions are always at the top of every safari “must-see”.
But here in Amboseli, lions share this land with people, many of whom keep livestock. For them, the reality of living side-by-side is far from magical.
This is because cows are the wealth upon which entire families depend. And the loss of just one cow is just as emotional as it is a financial strain.
This strain reached catastrophic levels in the early 2000s when lions almost completely disappeared from Amboseli due to retaliation by people for livestock losses. At the time, the negatives of living with lions far outstripped the benefits. Lions account for more than 60% of attacks on cows by wild predators in Amboseli.
The bottom line is simple: people must benefit from living alongside wild animals.
As a result, we established our Predator Compensation Fund. We give an average of $114,000 dollars each year in compensation to livestock owners who suffer losses to predators.
The program is collaborative, with checks and balances. Thanks to our compensation program, along with the dedicated conservation efforts of other partners like Lion Guardians, Amboseli has become a stronghold for lions, with the population now at a healthy level of approximately 250.
We need the support of people like you to ensure we can keep these programs running.
If you care about lions, please consider donating to Big Life today for World Lion Day.
📸: Joshua Clay