Kenya: 3rd lion from famous pride that was poisoned dies

A pride of lions that featured in Big Cat Diaries. the BBC wildlife show, have been poisoned inside the Masai Mara game reserve, Kenya’s leading tourist attraction.

So far, two lions have died-a lioness named Bibi and an unidentified lion, which was found in the field dead, fed on by scavengers.

Conservationist and certified wildlife veterinarian Hayley Adams said the poisoning of the famous Marsh lion pride will help raise awareness of long-standing conflict issues between humans and Africa’s wildlife that’s been quietly escalating in recent years.

Prosecutor Evans Gitonga did not prefer charges against Simindei Naurori and Kulangash Toposat, but asked they be remanded for 14 days to allow for investigation.

The Marsh pride lions were part of a long-running BBC series, Big Cat Live, that focused on the lives of lions, cheetahs and leopards in the Masai Mara.

On Tuesday, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust posted on its Facebook page that an autopsy of Bibi found that traces of an insecticide had been used to poison the pride.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has suggested that Bibi is actually alive, while also confirming that all eight lions belonging to the Marsh pride had recovered. The reserve is being encroached by an increasing population of herders and villagers who are are in need of more land.

Grazing of livestock in the reserve has increased exponentially, even though it’s illegal to do so.

With only 2,000 lions left in Kenya, the poisoning incident could have resulted in much more tragically had it not been for the swiftness provided by the Wildlife Service.

Three people were arrested in connection with poisoning the lions, and two Masai herdsmen were charged with poisoning the lions by leaving them poison-soaked meat to eat.

Experts were called in to inspect and treat them and at least five were thought to have ingested the poison. Nine vultures have been found dead near the remains, Udoto said.

“We labored around the clock to save lots of them however sadly they succumbed to poisoning”. “It can get in other species, which hurts ecotourism in the region, and it can get in the water supply”.

It is not the first time that lions in the area have faced hostility. Masai herdsmen often bring their cattle to graze on the reserve, The Guardian reports. “It’s a hard situation, both for the lions, and the communities”.