MPCP Boma Update

In 2024 trustees completed a new conservation strategy, as part of this new strategy the building and strengthening of bomas is seen as a vital tool to support local communities at homestead level to promote coexistence with the local lion population. Since then, we have included the Mara Predator Conservation Programme along with KopeLion in our efforts to grow this project with a new focus of building new bomas rather than just strengthening. This has seen this effort evolve from the Boma Strengthening Scheme to our new ‘Better Bomas Project’.

As you may remember earlier this year we donated towards the Mara Predator Conservation Programme to sponsor the cost of a brand new boma made out of recycled plastic poles and chain-link fencing. The need for stronger bomas is incredibly important as if cattle are not kept secure lions and other predators such as hyenas may attempt to break into this bomas and night to take livestock. This is more likely to happen in times of low prey density and drought. If this becomes a repeated problem then communities have been known to retaliate as livestock are an important part of their livelihood. By strengthening and building better bomas this project aims to reduce the incident rate at bomas by trying to prevent incidents before they occur we can protect losses of livestock and lions too.

Unlike our scheme with KopeLion which work within a world heritage site, all builds there have to remain traditional so unlike other areas where lions are present, they are not able to use barriers like chain-link fencing for added security, this is however an option for communities living around the Maasai Mara. Various different methods of boma building have been deployed, even those with mesh roofs have been seen in some places. The triple twisted chain-link is considered secure enough that lions and hyenas have not been able to gain access to any of these bomas since the original pilot boma group was built in 2022. Three trustees visited the MPCP in February this year and visited one of these bomas and the photo is included at the end of this page. We have heard from Michael Kaelo from the MPCP who shares more details below about this new boma:

"One of the five bomas we constructed during this period was from the support received from Safina. We constructed the boma at Olesere and it belongs to a widow who lives next to Naboisho Conservancy. She had experienced frequent conflicts with lions and hyenas in her previous boma and the few livestock she was left with she decided to move them to a neighbour’s home for safe keeping." 

— Michael Kaelo, Programme Manager - Mara, Mara Predator Conservation Programme

The boma has been built next to the Naboisho Conservancy which has been visited by trustees several times. This area borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve and is known as a dispersal zone for many species. Over the years lions have been renewed in Naboisho since the conservancy was founded in 2010 and the area is particularly known as a good place to see the three African big cats. The photos of the previous boma are shown above, and it can be easily seen that although it would have kept cattle inside it would not have been much of a deterrent to lions, hyenas and other predators. Sadly though money for new and better bomas is not something that everyone can afford.

The new boma is pictured below and the difference is striking. This new boma should keep the families cattle and other livestock safe for many years to come.

"We are sincerely grateful for the support as it has really had a big impact on the family and their livelihood. We look forward to hear on possibilities for future support so we can keep supporting families and lions in the Mara Ecosystem. Please pass our gratitude to your supporters for making such transformations possible."

— Michael Kaelo, Programme Manager - Mara, Mara Predator Conservation Programme

We look forward to hearing more about the progress of future bomas being built by the MPCP and we would like to continue our support for them if our funds allow.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens, Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Linton Zoo, All Things Wild and Folly Farm Zookeeper Peter Bonser for their help in supporting our Better Bomas Project. With special thanks for Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in particular for donating the majority of the funds required to build this boma.

Two SLCF trustees with Safari Guide Dama, Niels Mogensen and Dominik Sakat of the MPCP and the owner of the boma that we were shown.

Research Grant Awarded to Saadani Lion Project

Throughout 2025 trustees have been working on a new research policy and grant process so that we could support a small start up project with a donation of up to £1000 to assist with equipment and field expenses. We were approached by Montan "Monty" Kalyahe, a Tanzanian born conservationist who has just started his own brand new project within the Saadani National Park in Tanzania. This seemed like the ideal project that would benefit from a grant like this.

The Saadani Lion Project is a field-based conservation and research initiative established in 2024, in response to the lack of documented research on lions in the Saadani-Wamimbiki landscape of coastal Tanzania, despite growing concerns over their declining population. Saadani National Park, located along Tanzania’s central coastline, represents a unique ecosystem where marine and terrestrial habitats meet. The national park features many different and unique habitats including savannahs, coastal forests and riverine habitats. While the park is known for its diverse wildlife, little is known about its large carnivore populations—especially lions. To address this gap, the project was initiated in close collaboration with the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), and local stakeholders. Monty has also worked with Professor Stotra Chakrabarti from Macalester College on the formation of the Saadani Lion Project and its first year of operation.

Monty Kalyahe is the founder and Principal Investigator of the Saadani Lion Project. With over 18 years of experience working with Africa’s large carnivores including lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, African wild dogs, and cheetahs he has led efforts to collect and analyse data that inform science-based conservation strategies. His work combines practical field skills such as camera trapping, spoor tracking, call-in surveys, GIS mapping, and radio collaring with community engagement and conflict mitigation strategies to foster coexistence between people and predators. He has undergone various degrees and diplomas at universities in Tanzania and the United Kingdom and has worked for a variety of different large conservation organisations. Trustees and members of the SLCF conservation and research committee are incredibly impressed with his experience and his application.

The grant aims to support Monty in the purchasing and deployment of camera traps and other in-the-field related expenses and materials which can be used to monitor the lion population within the Saadani landscape without too much intrusion. This is a population that is currently understudied and an increase of knowledge in the population would be beneficial to creating long term conservation strategies. The Saadani Lion Project is working with local communities as well to ensure that all stakeholders who have to live with lions in the area are engaged within their conservation planning and to engage the local perception of lions currently within the area.

The trustees are donating £1000 in the form of a research grant to cover the cost of camera traps and in-the-field related expenses and materials for monitoring the lion population during the lion population survey Sep-Dec 2025. During this time Monty will also assess the viability of long term prey populations as well as his work engaging with the local communities.

Trustees believe that this work fits very well alongside our charitable objectives and within the remit of our conservation strategy. Upon hearing on the application success Monty had the following to say:

"I am deeply grateful to Safina for this generous grant in support of the Saadani Lion Project. Tanzania holds one of the largest remaining lion populations in Africa, making our work here critical for the species’ future. This contribution not only strengthens our ability to continue vital research and conservation in Saadani, but also gives us hope and encouragement knowing that our efforts are valued and supported. With this grant, we can take meaningful steps toward ensuring a safer future for lions and fostering harmony between wildlife and local communities."

— Monty Kalyahe, Founder and Principle Investigator, Saadani Lion Project

"We are all delighted to be able to support Monty with his pioneering project to gain a better understanding of the lions living in the Saadani landscape. Thanks go to everyone involved in making this grant happen, especially to Knowsley Safari Foundation for their assistance in providing the majority of the funds required. We very much look forward to seeing the findings of Monty's work later on this year."

— James Welch, Chairman, Safina Lion Conservation Fund

Naturally we will keep all of our supporters updated on Monty's progress and we look forward to hearing the results of the population survey and the work carried out by Monty in the last quarter of this year. We would like to once again express our sincere thanks to the Knowsley Safari Foundation for their generosity in making this grant possible. We are also very grateful for the help of the Honeyguide Foundation for their help and cooperation in processing the funds to the Saadani Lion Project.

Lebutiama Update

We have supported our conservation partner KopeLion through the sponsoring of GPS collars since 2019. Last year (2024) we sponsored our third collar by donating £2,675 to cover the cost of the new GPS collar and the associated data transmission fees.

The collar ended up being deployed onto Lebutiama, he was born into the Lagunita Pride that resides in the Ngorongoro Crater in October 2020 and he was last seen there in April 2024. It was then believed that he had dispersed, given that it was the right time in his life and he was coming to normal dispersal age, where he had gone however was a mystery.

KopeLion are based in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), surrounding the famous Ngorongoro Crater. Many areas of the NCA are multi-use areas and the NCA interlinks the crater to the main Serengeti ecosystem and is vital to the connectivity of wildlife between these places, particularly lions. On the 26th September, the KopeLion team received a call that a lion had been found in a maize field, a very long way away from the NCA with a very heavy community presence. With help of the authorities the lion was captured, immobilized and moved back to the safety of the NCA and a collar was placed on him as the photo below shows.

KopeLion team having unloaded Lebutiama back into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Lebutiama, as he was named after the area in which he was found, has been keeping a low profile within the NCA, looked over by the Ilchokuti within the area. We look forward to seeing how his story develops over time. His story so far shows the tolerance and interest of local people and the success of the systems now in place to try and handle these situations before conflict occurs. Photos included of Lebutiama as a cub, earlier this year and during his capture.

Over the course of the following months we continued to receive updates from KopeLion that Lebutiama has been doing well and continuing to roam around the villages of Olpiro and Misigiyo. He is doing well due to the available food currently around in this area, particularly buffalo. Balasi, KopeLion Ilchukuti had found remains of a buffalo calf carcass killed and eaten by Lebutiama, showing how close he is being monitored by the team. The photo below shows him in April 2024 with a map showing his movements that month.

Since his translocation back to the NCA late last year he has moved to the western side of the NCA in the Kimuma area of the Kakesio region where there is little conflict with people. This is along the border between the Maswa Game Reserve and the Serengeti. The team are hopeful that his constant presence there could indicate that there are females in the area.

He will be approaching 5 years old in October and has grown into a very impressive specimen. Lion life is tough as his body shows in the photos above but he appears to be doing well.

We are now delighted to share that in September 2025, a year after Lebutiama was first collared we have now donated another £240 to go towards the collar data transmission fees for another year.