The Koiyaki/Lemek Conservancy is a region of Maasailand lying along the North-West border of the Masai Mara Reserve.

The area is rich in wildlife, and is an ideal location for tourists who come to view the big five and the yearly migration of millions of wildebeest through the Serengeti ecosystem.

Inside the Masai Mara Reserve, lions have few threats. But in the surrounding area of Koiyaki, pastoralists and their huge herds of cattle dominate the landscape, competing with native grazers.

In the dry season and when the migration returns to Tanzania, the number of natural prey plummets, driving predators to attack cattle. Past conflicts between predators and livestock have led to the killing of several lions and the breakdown of large prides.

As cattle numbers and human encroachment increase, so does the threat to the lions here.

The Mara Predator Project (MPP) is monitoring the lions in this area, identifying key trends and shifts in population, and building an online database of individual lions so that effective conservation methods can be applied.

We do this by finding and identifying lions ourselves, and by using the help of tourists and camp guides, who report lion sightings to us.

The project also records cases of conflict between livestock and predators, and has begun lion conservation education in local schools. We aim to use the successful strategies devised by other LWL projects to reduce the threat to the lion population in this area.

MPP collaborates with and is supported by the Masai Mara North Conservancy (MMNC) and Serian Camp, where the project is based. Serian supports a number of community schemes and is working to increase conservation efforts. MMNC aims to manage the tourist industry in Koiyaki by issuing guidelines to ensure that pressure on wildlife is kept at a minimum.

MPP is just starting out and needs your help!
Lion conservation is not only an issue for scientists and researchers, but for anyone who has a passion for protecting big cats and the places in which they live. The aim of our work is long term, sustainable conservation that may be contributed to by everyone.

Key to the success of MPP is the involvement of tourists. The project has an online database which anyone can use to identify and share information about lions that they have seen in Koiyaki.

Tell us about your lion sightings!
If you have recently visited Koiyaki and have photographs of lions in our area, why not see if you can identify them?

We use a lion’s whisker spot pattern for identification, along with obvious ear tears and injuries. We also consider its age, where it is seen most often, and which pride it belongs to.

To take part in the Mara Predator Project, follow these simple steps:

1. Visit the Mara Predator Project Lion I.D. Database to learn how to identify lions, and how to estimate their age.

2. Select a clear photograph, showing the whisker spots and any obvious ear tears. See if you can guess how old it is from your photograph.

3. Go to the Mara Predator Project Lion I.D. Database, and click on the area where you saw the lion. Use the place-marks of the main camps to help you. 

4. Browse through the database, looking at the photographs and I.D. sheets for each lion. If you can’t find your lion, don’t give up - try a new area from the homepage.

5. If you find your lion, you can email us at maralions@livingwithlions.org with a clear photograph (preferably under 300KB) and the following information:

• WHICH LION you have identified

• WHERE the lion was seen/where the photograph was taken

• WHEN the lion was seen/when the photograph was taken

• Any additional information about the sighting, for example, if it was seen with other lions.

Alternatively, if you would like to email us any recent photographs of lions from Koiyaki, we can identify them for you.

This is particularly relevant to people who have visited:

Follow the lives of the Koiyaki lions through our blog!
There’s always something going on with Koiyaki’s big cats, and they aren’t shy to let us know! You can read about the day-to-day lives of our study lions at marapredatorproject.blogspot.com, which is updated regularly with news and stories on our most popular lion stars.

Here, past safari-goers or anyone interested in MPP can follow their favourite lions, and keep up to date on the project’s progress.

Donating to the Mara Predator Project
MPP is in need of funding to continue this research. Your donations will go towards many different aspects of the project, from helping to reduce conflicts with predators, to purchasing much-needed equipment, such as GPS units. If you can make a donation to the project please visit our donation page to find out how.