the lions in Africa are in serious trouble their numbers have plummeted
trouble their numbers have plummeted
trouble their numbers have plummeted over the last 20 years and this is more
over the last 20 years and this is more
over the last 20 years and this is more evident in Kenya where we estimate only
evident in Kenya where we estimate only
evident in Kenya where we estimate only 2,000 miles left in the whole country my
2,000 miles left in the whole country my
2,000 miles left in the whole country my project is called a wasa Lions project
project is called a wasa Lions project
project is called a wasa Lions project which I started in 2007 we work up in
which I started in 2007 we work up in
which I started in 2007 we work up in northern Kenya in a place called Samburu
northern Kenya in a place called Samburu
northern Kenya in a place called Samburu we work with the local communities to
we work with the local communities to
we work with the local communities to try and increase their tolerance towards
try and increase their tolerance towards
try and increase their tolerance towards predators and try and reduce the
predators and try and reduce the
predators and try and reduce the resentment that they have when they lose
resentment that they have when they lose
resentment that they have when they lose their livestock and we have a program
their livestock and we have a program
their livestock and we have a program called warrior watch which is our
called warrior watch which is our
called warrior watch which is our ambassador program that we started in
ambassador program that we started in
ambassador program that we started in January 2010 warriors are the ones who
January 2010 warriors are the ones who
January 2010 warriors are the ones who are out in the field every day they’re
are out in the field every day they’re
are out in the field every day they’re the eyes and ears they see wildlife on a
the eyes and ears they see wildlife on a
the eyes and ears they see wildlife on a daily basis yet they’re not really
daily basis yet they’re not really
daily basis yet they’re not really involved in wildlife conservation
involved in wildlife conservation
involved in wildlife conservation decision-making so we decided to see if
decision-making so we decided to see if
decision-making so we decided to see if they would be interested let’s see if we
they would be interested let’s see if we
they would be interested let’s see if we could change this let’s see if there
could change this let’s see if there
could change this let’s see if there might be a way we can involve them in
might be a way we can involve them in
might be a way we can involve them in conservation so we approached them and
conservation so we approached them and
conservation so we approached them and we called five Orias to a meeting
we called five Orias to a meeting
we called five Orias to a meeting initially they were very suspicious and
initially they were very suspicious and
initially they were very suspicious and they said why we didn’t called it what
they said why we didn’t called it what
they said why we didn’t called it what have we done wrong and we said you’ve
have we done wrong and we said you’ve
have we done wrong and we said you’ve done nothing wrong we want to see you
done nothing wrong we want to see you
done nothing wrong we want to see you know we want to talk about animals and
know we want to talk about animals and
know we want to talk about animals and Wildlife and their faces lit up and they
Wildlife and their faces lit up and they
Wildlife and their faces lit up and they said you know no one’s ever asked us
said you know no one’s ever asked us
said you know no one’s ever asked us that before we would like to so we said
that before we would like to so we said
that before we would like to so we said ok let’s let’s try this out we would
ok let’s let’s try this out we would
ok let’s let’s try this out we would love your wildlife information sightings
love your wildlife information sightings
love your wildlife information sightings we would really encourage you to become
we would really encourage you to become
we would really encourage you to become wildlife ambassadors what would you like
wildlife ambassadors what would you like
wildlife ambassadors what would you like in exchange from us and they said we
in exchange from us and they said we
in exchange from us and they said we would like education we’ve never been
would like education we’ve never been
would like education we’ve never been given the opportunity to go to school so
given the opportunity to go to school so
given the opportunity to go to school so we don’t know how to read and write we
we don’t know how to read and write we
we don’t know how to read and write we would like you to teach us the basics
would like you to teach us the basics
would like you to teach us the basics now we’ve taught them how to read and
now we’ve taught them how to read and
now we’ve taught them how to read and write they have GPS units pocket
write they have GPS units pocket
write they have GPS units pocket binoculars and they’re out in the field
binoculars and they’re out in the field
binoculars and they’re out in the field every day collecting information on
every day collecting information on
every day collecting information on wildlife using their gps’s they fill out
wildlife using their gps’s they fill out
wildlife using their gps’s they fill out data sheets now and they come back to us
data sheets now and they come back to us
data sheets now and they come back to us every Sunday with these data sheets
every Sunday with these data sheets
every Sunday with these data sheets filled out on all the wildlife sightings
filled out on all the wildlife sightings
filled out on all the wildlife sightings they’ve had over the week
they’ve had over the week
they’ve had over the week they have camera traps a whole group of
they have camera traps a whole group of
they have camera traps a whole group of them now have their own camera traps so
them now have their own camera traps so
them now have their own camera traps so they’re able to put them out in their
they’re able to put them out in their
they’re able to put them out in their home areas and they look at it as a bit
home areas and they look at it as a bit
home areas and they look at it as a bit of a competition every Sunday when they
of a competition every Sunday when they
of a competition every Sunday when they come back they see they say you know I
come back they see they say you know I
come back they see they say you know I got a striped eye you know my camera
got a striped eye you know my camera
got a striped eye you know my camera track what did you get on yours and they
track what did you get on yours and they
track what did you get on yours and they all compete to see who gets the better
all compete to see who gets the better
all compete to see who gets the better images and this very much helps with our
images and this very much helps with our
images and this very much helps with our research objectives so we started off
research objectives so we started off
research objectives so we started off this program in January 2010 with five
this program in January 2010 with five
this program in January 2010 with five warriors and now almost three years
warriors and now almost three years
warriors and now almost three years later we have 16 warriors who are really
later we have 16 warriors who are really
later we have 16 warriors who are really actively engaged in conservation and
actively engaged in conservation and
actively engaged in conservation and they’ve really become wildlife
they’ve really become wildlife
they’ve really become wildlife ambassadors in this area
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