Enrichment

Conservation at a Glance

Kenya, East Africa: Laikipia Predator Project

• Lions are losing ground to people in Africa. With less land and less prey available to them, sometimes lions resort to eating livestock.
• Livestock are important fooda, economic, and status sources for many people in Africa.
• To protect their livelihood, livestock herders sometimes resort to shooting or poisoning lions.
• The Zoo is financially supporting the Laikipia Predator Project in the East African country of Kenya to help livestock herders and lions live together. Zoo guests can contribute to the Laikipia Predator Project in the Zoo’s big cat exhibit, Big Cat Falls, or on the Zoo’s website.
• Zoo staff members have traveled to Kenya to assist in the Laikipia Predator Project. The Zoo is also helping to support the development of educational materials to educate local ranchers about the importance of predators and how best to protect their livestock.
• The Laikipia Predator Project teaches herders how to improve their livestock holding pens (“bomas”) using inexpensive, simple tools and thus protecting their livestock from lions. If less livestock are eaten, less lions are killed in retaliation.
• The Laikipia Predator Project studies lions to determine how much land and prey they need.  Studies include putting collars on lions that emit radio signals so that the lions can be followed and their land use patterns mapped.  
• Techniques being explored in this project can be used to help large predators in other areas of Africa and around the world.

Fun Facts

African lions live in . . . Africa, of course! They range from south of the Sahara Desert all the way to South Africa, excluding the Congo.

Their habitat is varied, and is anything from the rich grasslands of east Africa to the sands of the Kalahari Desert. They can live at high altitudes – as high as 16,400 ft. – or at sea level, and anywhere in between!

In zoological settings, African lions will usually live up to 19 years. Researchers are still studying the many factors that affect their lifespan. Hey, future researchers, maybe that’s something YOU will discover one day!

The African Lion may be King of the Beasts, but they are in great danger from their only enemy: HUMANS. Humans can be the solution, though! Find out how you can help African lions.

Male African lions are HUGE! They can weigh 330 pounds (149 kg) - 550 pounds (249 kg)! Females can weigh 130 pounds (58 kg) - 400 pounds (181 kg).

In the wild, African lions eat wildebeests, antelope, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, buffalo, rodents, hares, small birds and reptiles, and carrion. In the Zoo, African lions eat solid and ground beef and knucklebones.

Using some serious GIRL POWER, that’s how! Unlike all other felines, lions hunt in groups – and guess who does the hunting? The lionesses! The females hunt together by stalking and creeping towards their prey, then rushing and leaping at it. They kill larger prey by cutting off their air with one bite to the throat! So, while the lionesses are hunting, where’s Dad? He's standing nearby, waiting for them to finish the hard work before he jumps in and takes over!

Here are some way cool facts about lions that might surprise you . . .

• Two features set lions aside from all other cats: (1) they are the only cat species in which you can easily tell males and females apart; (2) they are much more social than any other cat, living in prides of up to 30.

• The dark spots on the muzzle are unique to each lion, like a fingerprint on a human.

• The lion’s mane is all for show. Research shows that lionesses prefer males with dark manes and other male lions will avoid rivals with darker, longer manes.

Conservation

Hey kids! African lions are in danger! The Philadelphia Zoo is trying to save them, and we need your help! Keep reading to find out what we’ve done so far, and to find out how YOU can help save the African lion!

Farmers in Africa use the same land to graze their cattle that lions use to hunt. Sometimes the lions resort to eating the farmers’ cattle if they’re really hungry and can’t find other food. This makes the farmers angry, and they kill the lions to stop them.

Imagine having a lion in your backyard. Could you learn to live with it? Cattle and other livestock (like goats) are very important to many farmers in Africa. For them, these animals are sources of food, money, and social status among their neighbors. Instead of having the lions drive out the farmers, or the farmers kill off the lions; they need to be able to find a way to live together.

The Philadelphia Zoo is supporting researchers in Namibia working on the Ongava Research Center African Lion Project. Some staff members from the Philadelphia Zoo have traveled to Namibia to help out! Several lions are wearing gps collars and there are multiple camera stations set up to remotely study the lions in their natural habitats. These monitoring techniques will allow the researchers to learn everything they can about lion dispersal and daily living, which in turn will help to save the lions.

A wild lion pride in Africa napping under a tree. They are wearing radio collars so researchers can track them.

The people working on the Laikipia Predator Project are studying the lions and educating the farmers. The farmers are learning that the lions are an important part of Africa’s wildlife. They are also learning how to protect their cattle from the lions. They are making "bomas" to protect their cattle. 

A boma is a very strong, well-made fence. It protects the cattle from the lions, so the farmers don’t have to worry about their herd. This allows the lions and farmers to share their habitat peacefully.

Yes! Many people care very much about the African lions, and want to help them. In 2005, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act was introduced. Great cats and rare canids include lions, cheetahs, African wild dogs, maned wolves, and more. This act gives money and support to try and save endangered animals. Find out more about this act and how you can write to your senator and representative.

There is so much that you can do to help! Here are a few things:

• Research African lions. Check out our book recommendations, and look for other books on African lions at your local library. When you come to the Philadelphia Zoo, talk to the staff and docents by the lions’ habitat! They have a lot of information to share! Ask questions about the lions at our Zoo and the lions in Namibia! The more you know about them, the more you can tell other people. Education and knowledge are the most . important tools!
• When you come to see the new big cat exhibit, bring some quarters for the cats! You can put them into the coin machine at Buck Base Camp. That money goes to the researchers in Kenya so they can continue to help the lions and the farmers.
• Just like the farmers in Africa are learning to live with the lions, you can learn to live with the wildlife in your neighborhood, too! Here’s how you can get started:
  • When you see litter on the ground, pick it up (make sure it's not sharp!) and throw it into a trashcan or recycle bin.
  • If you have trashcans that stay outside, make sure they are always tightly covered so that they don’t attract wildlife.
  • These are only a few things — find out some more easy ways that YOU can protect wildlife and the environment.
• Researchers gain knowledge through observation – you can, too! Observe the wildlife that you see in your neighborhood. Observation is the most important part of research! Not sure how to get started or what to look for? Check out our tips!