Research Summary
Taita/Rukinga Wildlife Conservancy, Tsavo region, Kenya — In the dry woodlands outside Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, lions kill hundreds of livestock every year, driving ranchers to kill lions or convert their land to cropland or charcoal production. If Kenya is to maintain safe havens for its legendary wildlife diversity, we must find ways for lions and humans to coexist. Dr. Bruce Patterson, Dr. Samuel Kasiki (Kenya Wildlife Service), and Alexander Mwazo Gombe are investigating the ecology of Tsavo's infamous "maneless" lions to understand lion requirements there. You can help collect data on seasonal changes in lion density, social structure, and survival.
“I went to Kenya with the hope of witnessing magnificent wildlife while doing my part to help Tsavo’s threatened lions. That hope was fulfilled time and again.” — Kathleen Evans
Meet the Scientists
Dr. Bruce Patterson
Field Museum of Natural History
“The close coexistence of human and lion communities means we must find ways to allow predators and livestock to live in a manageable balance.” - Dr. Bruce D. Patterson
Dr. Patterson is a curator at Chicago’s Field Museum and teaches at the University of Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago. He is responsible for the overall direction and orientation of the project.
Dr. Samuel Kasiki
Kenya Wildlife Service
Dr. Kasiki is Acting Deputy Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and an authority on animal-human conflict.
Alexander Mwazo Gombe
Tsavo Research Centre
Alex Mwazo Gombe, B.Sc., is a scientist affiliated with the Tsavo Research Centre and has joined KWS scientists in wildlife inventories in Tsavo. He has participated on every Lions of Tsavo team since the project’s inception, and has collared each of the project’s lions.