“Predators on Loisaba”

Loisaba boasts populations of all large carnivores found in the region: lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted & striped hyaenas and, most recently, African wild dogs. Loisaba collaborates closely with the Laikipia Predator Project, a conservation research project aimed at promoting coexistence of large carnivores with people and livestock. For that reason, you may see predators (especially lions) on Loisaba wearing radio-collars; these do not harm the animals, and allow researchers to keep track of where they go. The collars have also helped Loisaba staff to locate the lions and to come to know them as individuals.

Outside parks such as the Masai Mara, lions have to live alongside people and livestock. Often this means that lion numbers are lower and, probably as a consequence, their family groups are organised rather differently. The main lion pride on Loisaba consists of four females who are often - though not always - found together. For several years these females were not accompanied by any adult males. However, during 2001 a young male, named “Scaramanga” joined up with the females. He was quickly ousted, though, by a pair of brothers born on neighbouring Mugie Ranch; these two males (named “Romulus and Remus”) are now staying with the females, and Scaramanga lives alone. One of the females (“Pussy Galore”) recently gave birth to five cubs.

Loisaba’s lions are particularly interesting to researchers because they almost never bother the ranch’s livestock. One possible explanation is that the abundant wild prey mean that the lions do not need to turn to killing livestock for food.

Great excitement surrounds the recent return of African wild dogs to Loisaba. These highly endangered predators have declined across Africa, with only 3-6,000 left in the wild. After decades of persecution, followed by a probable rabies outbreak, wild dogs became extinct in the Laikipia region about twenty years ago. However, in the last three years they have begun to recolonise; this may be the only part of Africa where wild dog numbers are rising instead of declining. A pack of wild dogs are currently raising six pups at a den not far from Loisaba, and the new generation are expected to show up on Loisaba itself in the next few weeks.