Welcome to our next SLN webinar where we’re excited to introduce you to Ewaso Lions, a Kenya-based conservation organization working to promote coexistence between people and wildlife, specifically large carnivores such as lions. In an upcoming presentation, Ewaso Lions’ Founder & Executive Director, Shivani Bhalla, and Director of Impact and Operations, Toby Otieno, will share how their various community programs with pastoralist communities seek to build local agency and decision-making in carnivore conservation and promote human-carnivore coexistence. Ewaso Lions firmly believes that community-led conservation efforts are key to the success of lion conservation.
Discover innovative community-led programs and gain valuable insights for successful conservation efforts, applicable not only to lions but also to snow leopards and other endangered species. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and work together towards our shared conservation goals.
About the talk
Ewaso Lions conserves Kenya’s lions and other large carnivores by promoting coexistence between people and wildlife. We firmly believe that the success of lion conservation hinges on the involvement of the local people who live alongside lions. In this talk, Shivani Bhalla, Founder & Executive Director, Ewaso Lions and Toby Otieno, Director of Impact and Operations, Ewaso Lions, will discuss the decline in the lion population across Africa before focusing on the ways in which Ewaso Lions’ various community programmes seek to promote human-carnivore coexistence and build local capacity for carnivore conservation. Learn how, as a result of community-led conservation, lions have started to make a comeback in the community areas where Ewaso Lions operates.
About our Guests
Shivani Bhalla. Born and raised in Kenya, Shivani believes the key to lion conservation is working in partnership with local communities. She founded Ewaso Lions in 2007 to promote coexistence between carnivores and people. Shivani is a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, African Lion Working Group, Kenya’s Large Carnivore Taskforce and a founding member of the Pride Lion Conservation Alliance. Shivani has a BSc. in Environmental Science from Lancaster University, received her MSc. in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from Edinburgh Napier University and was awarded her DPhil in Zoology from Oxford University in 2017.Previously, she has worked for the Kenya Wildlife Service and Save The Elephants. Shivani moved to Samburu in 2002 and lives in the Ewaso Lions Camp in Westgate Conservancy with her two dogs Kura and Nanyori.
Toby Otieno has vast research and field experience throughout Kenya whilst working with the National Museums of Kenya’s mammalogy department and the Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia. Toby has applied his skills to implement research design, conduct field activities, write research proposals, and author publications in peer reviewed journals. As Ewaso Lions Director of Impact and Operations, Toby takes the lead role in all monitoring activities and research programme management in order to provide data to support our mission. Toby holds a BSc. in Wildlife Management and Conservation from University of Nairobi, and a MSc. in Wildlife Management from Karatina University.
Our Facilitator
Koustubh Sharma is the International Coordinator of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) and the Science & Conservation Director at the Snow Leopard Trust. With more than 20 years of experience in ecological research, wildlife conservation and training, he helps build collaborations and coordinate alliances at multiple levels for snow leopard research and conservation.
Date/Time
Friday, May 5th, at 14:00pm Bishkek time
Location
ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE
Please note
- If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
- Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
- Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session.
Samantha Strindberg
Wei Chunyue
Dong Zhengyi
Ian Durbach
Koustubh Sharma
Deepshikha Sharma
Altynai Adabaeva
Vena Kapoor
