Amir is back!

Amir, pictured in July 2025

Today is World Lion Day and there couldn’t be a better way to celebrate. Amir, a young male lion who hadn’t been sighted for 20 months and was presumed dead, has been spotted again – happy and healthy, in Meru National Park, Kenya. 

Since we began monitoring Meru’s lions in 2014, this work has become integral to our Pride of Meru conservation programme. Four prides are regularly followed – by getting to know each lion, we can better keep them safe. So, you can imagine the excitement of our team when they reported the return of Amir, a youngster from the Mulika Pride, who hadn’t been seen since November 2023.

Moses Nyagah, Pride of Meru Field Supervisor

“Amir resurfaced within the territory of Elsa’s Pride, marking a significant shift in his location and social dynamics,” explains Moses Nyagah, our Pride of Meru Field Supervisor. “The dramatic sighting was made through our citizen science initiative and was thanks to Mr Mohamed – a senior guide for Elewana Collection hotel, Elsa’s Kopje, who spotted Amir while he was leading a safari.”

We don’t know where Amir might have travelled in the past 20 months, or the challenges he encountered when being alone. Taking down prey is hard without the support of a pride. But Amir’s healthy condition is a positive sign he’s done well since we last saw him.

Why Meru matters

The lions of Meru will always be special to Born Free. Meru Conservation Area – spanning Meru and Kora National Parks, together with Mwingi and Bisanadi Reserves, is where the Born Free story began and Elsa the lioness captured our hearts. Today, we feature Elsa on our charity logo and, inspired by her memory, are dedicated to protecting Meru’s lions.

“Our Pride of Meru programme works to protect the lions living in and around Meru National Park, and safeguard their future,” explains Michael Mugo, our Pride of Meru Manager. “A key aspect of this work is monitoring the lions’ behaviour, which enables us to better understand the population and their movement patterns.

“This data deepens our understanding of the species, but also sheds light on any conflict between people and lions. It helps us develop more effective and evidence-based solutions to mitigate these challenges, so both can thrive.

“We keep an extensive lion database, with information on individuals – which pride they are from, who they’re related to, and any identifying features. For over ten years we have gathered this data, providing us with a rich history of their lives.”

Dynamic social groups

A group of lions from Elsa’s Pride

Interestingly, lions live in ‘fission-fusion societies’. This means that, while lions are part of a specific family pride, they may split into smaller groups for periods of time (fission). They might then come back together as a bigger group, or go on to create new groups (fusion).

This fascinating social structure means that, when our team spots a group of lions, they may only see a few members of a pride at a time. Other individuals of the same pride can be spotted rarely, if at all – not least Amir.

Why did Amir leave his pride?

Young males will naturally leave their pride when they are subadults. They often live alone or form small coalitions with other males, as they look for a new territory or pride. These wandering males can be very difficult to keep track of. A solo lion is hard to spot and, without a defined home range, they can wander far and wide.

When an individual goes unrecorded, our team searches across their known territory and beyond, following any possible lead. However, Meru National Park is vast – 335 square miles in size, with difficult terrain and dense vegetation which can make sightings challenging and rare.

In many cases, individuals who ‘disappear’ are never seen again. While it’s possible they have dispersed beyond our monitoring range, it’s also likely they will have died. Sadly, life in the wild can be unforgiving.

A group of young lions from Mulika Pride (c) Mateo Bal

Lions face many threats – from injury and starvation, to disease and conflict with people or livestock. When a lion goes missing, it’s often a quiet end, unwitnessed by anyone other than nature itself. But, our team carries the weight of every disappearance. Every lion is precious. Each loss a reminder just how vulnerable these animals are.

How did we recognise Amir?

Every lion we monitor in Meru is catalogued in our extensive database. Here we record their unique physical features and, most notably, their ‘whisker spot’ patterns. Like a fingerprint, these spots at the bottom of each whisker are unique for every individual.

This method of identification remains reliable even as lions change over time. Especially males, who develop fuller manes and acquire battle scars. But, despite these transformations, their whisker patterns remain constant, allowing us to track them accurately throughout their lives.

Our citizen science initiative trains and equips tourist guides to collect lion monitoring data when out on safari. This helps us to gather important information and engage tourists! Using photos provided by Mr Mohamed, we were able to confirm that Amir was alive and well.

Thank you Mr Mohamed!

Amani with one of her cubs

We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and sharp eyes of guides like Mr Mohamed, whose fantastic contribution made this vital sighting possible. You might remember how this same citizen science initiative was recently responsible for spotting Amani’s cubs too.

Moments like these highlight the immense value of collaboration between conservation teams and the tourism community. Every report from the field – whether from professional guides, our Kenya Wildlife Service ranger colleagues, or visitors to the park, adds an important piece to the puzzle. Every report helps us better understand and therefore protect Meru’s lions.

Amir’s unexpected return is not only a testament to the resilience of these animals but also to the power of collective effort in conservation.

Working together for lions

“Amir’s extraordinary story highlights the importance of both continual lion monitoring and citizen science,” explains Moses. “Tracking individual lions over long periods provides invaluable insight into their health, social behaviour, pride takeovers, their territories and interactions within often human-dominated landscapes. It allows us as conservationists to detect signs of poaching, conflict with people, or natural mortality that might otherwise go unnoticed.”

Our Pride of Meru monitoring team has been on the look-out for Amir since his reappearance, and their dedication has already paid off. To their joy, a few days ago they spotted him again, this time in the territory of Elsa’s Pride, close to some of their subadults. The team is delighted Amir is looking so well, and eager to keep following his journey to adulthood. We will keep you updated!