The speared lioness

Sahara, pictured in July 2025 (c) Born Free Kenya

As you know, the well-being of every single lion matters to Born Free. This is why our Pride of Meru team is getting to know each individual in Meru Conservation Area – our charity’s homeland, where Elsa the lioness was returned to the wild. 

By identifying lions, recording them on our database and monitoring their behaviour, Born Free can improve our conservation work. All the lions of Meru have become special to us, since our Pride of Meru project began, in 2014. But the astonishing true story of the young lioness Sahara, including an important new discovery, brings us particular joy.

Our Field Supervisor Moses Nyagah, a key member of our Pride of Meru team, reports.

In the heart of Meru’s wild landscape, where the pace of life can be ruled by strength and survival, a young lioness from Mulika Pride named Sahara is writing a story of resilience.

The team remove the spear from Sahara’s leg

It was over two and a half years ago, on 2 December 2022, when Sahara – then just a large cub, was discovered by the Pride of Meru team with a terrible injury. The youngster was found with an arrow piercing through her right hind leg, slightly above the paw.

Sadly, the injury was clearly caused by a person. We knew we needed to intervene and provide medical care. Immediate action was needed, and we urgently contacted our colleagues from the Kenya Wildlife Service veterinary team to come and help.

Thanks to their swift response, Sahara was gently sedated, and the deadly arrow carefully removed. She was given vital medications to manage her pain and prevent infection. Following this life-saving treatment, the young lion was then released to live freely, the Pride of Meru team keeping a careful eye on her recovery.

The cause of this injury is believed to be poaching activities, in the park. Born Free is working hard to help people and wildlife to live together without conflict. Interestingly, while the rescue operation was underway, tour guides from nearby lodge Elsa’s Kopje and several guests happened to be nearby.

Sahara recovering after the spear was removed

Two of the guests, who introduced themselves as Born Free’s supporters, expressed their sincere happiness at the successful rescue. They greatly acknowledged the work of the Pride of Meru team and the Kenya Wildlife Service vet team. The pair felt so deeply connected to Sahara’s remarkable journey that they travelled back to Meru, in the following year, to see how she was progressing.

In the meantime, despite the odds, Sahara adapted quickly back to life in the wild. Over the following months, she grew into a powerful and agile lioness, integrating with other pride members and displaying signs of strong social bonding. Notably, she was observed engaging playfully with a cub from another female lioness in her pride, an important sign of emotional maturity and trust within the group.

The real excitement began when the Pride of Meru team very recently spotted Sahara with a physical transformation: her belly showed a noticeable protrusion, and her teats appeared enlarged.

Zahara playing with a cub from the pride

These are clear indicators that she may have herself become a happy mother. If so, this remarkable moment marks a full circle evolution – from a wounded cub, to a mature lioness likely to now be raising her own young ones.

Our team is conducting close monitoring to determine whether Sahara has successfully given birth to cubs. The sightings of her interacting with cubs, combined with her physical maternal signs, have generated cautious optimism among us!

Sahara’s story is more than a simple victory. It’s a living testament to the power of wildlife conservation, veterinary expertise, and the adaptability of nature’s creatures. Her survival, and now her potential motherhood, symbolize a triumph not only for her pride, but for every human involved in protecting Meru’s majestic wildlife.

The Pride of Meru team continue to follow Sahara’s movements, hoping to soon – definitively – lay eyes on her cubs. This will be proof that conflict and injury can raise strength, and from harsh conditions can bloom new life. We will report back, as soon as we have news!