Lion collaring project continues with second Meru lion
ResQ the lioness has been collared in Meru National Park, Kenya, as part of Born Free’s vital lion monitoring work.
ResQ the lioness has been fitted with a GPS collar (c) Born Free Kenya
Just last month we shared the exciting news that we’ve been able to put a GPS tracking collar on lion in Meru National Park as part of our monitoring work. Now we have an exciting update – a second lion with a fascinating history, ResQ, has also been collared.
Born Free’s Meru team has been monitoring lions in Meru National Park for over 10 years. They have more knowledge of the lions of the park than anyone else, but there are limitations to how much they can learn from observation alone. Fitting animals with GPS collars provides much more in-depth knowledge into their movements, especially at night.
Amani, a lioness from the Bisanadi pride, was the first lion to be collared by Born Free this year, and her movements have already given the team interesting insights into lion behaviour. After the success of collaring Amani, the team soon began searching for other prides. This, however, was no mean feat. easy feat.
The long, wet season arrived early to Meru National Park this year, with vegetation shooting up and the landscape quickly turning green and lush, adding another layer of difficulty for the team when tracking down lion prides. Tall grass and bushy shrubs make detecting lions harder than ever!
After a week of searching, the team tracked down Elsa’s Pride, one of the most well-known prides in Meru National Park. One of the pride’s females, ResQ ,had been identified as suitable candidate for collaring, given her maturity and central position within the pride.
ResQ is fitted with the collar
The vet was able to safely dart ResQ and the team fitted her GPS collar. Protecting the lioness is paramount while they are sedated, with the team ensuring ResQ was kept cool and monitoring her vitals closely. Once she was awake, they stayed nearby to ensure she had fully recovered from the anesthetic.
ResQ’s story is a remarkable one. At only eight months old, she was spotted with a life-threatening wire snare around her neck. Being at such a young age, this is particularly dangerous as any growth of her body would cause the snare to tighten even further. Thanks to the quick work by the Kenya Wildlife Service vet team, supported by Born Free, the snare was removed and ResQ was able to continue her life in the wild.
Over the years, our team in Meru have watched ResQ grow into an impressive lioness, in the knowledge that she is thriving thanks to that rapid intervention. The only reminders of this experience are her name – given to her by the team to mark the rescue – and the scar that she still bears around her neck.
Understanding how ResQ and the rest of Elsa’s pride use their landscape will help us to ensure they remain protected in years to come. We’ve already seen some exciting results showing that ResQ and most likely the rest of Elsa’s pride is utilising large areas of Meru National Park and appear very active most days.
We’re looking forward to sharing ResQ’s journey as we find out more about her life.
SEE PHOTOS OF RESQ OVER THE YEARS
Spotted as a cub with a deadly wire snare wrapped tightly around her neck.
Her life was in danger.
ResQ was just eight months old when discovered with the snare around her neck.
Supported by Born Free, the Kenya Wildlife Service vet team, removed the snare and ResQ was able to continue her life in the wild.
ResQ grew into a magnificent lioness.
But the scar from the snare is still visible around her neck.
Now she is part of a groundbreaking lion-collaring programme in Meru.
She was gently sedated whilst the collar was fitted.
We look forward to learning more about ResQ thanks to the GPS collar!
You made this possible!
In April, we raised an incredible £101,470 through our Earth Raise appeal to protect Meru’s lions. Thanks to your generous donations, we can continue our vital lion monitoring work in Kenya. If you’d like to support our work further, AND receive regular updates about ResQ and the rest of Elsa’s Pride, why not become a lion adopter?!