Summary of Simba’s Wild Notes (May 15, 2025 – Nashulai Conservancy)

By Simba Oloshorua Qiang Zhuo

At 19:11 on May 15, 2025, Simba received a call from Ryan reporting lion sightings near the Nashulai Community College. Simba drove out cautiously through difficult terrain to investigate. He met Ryan and Joseph, and together they located two lionesses concealed in the thickets. Nearby, a spotted hyena and a black-backed jackal were also active—signaling a likely hunting attempt on a nearby zebra herd.

The lions were within 300 meters of a Maasai homestead. Concerned for both human and lion safety, Simba invited two local Maasai men into the vehicle and later warned others approaching on foot. Their prompt intervention likely prevented a potential human-wildlife conflict.

After leaving to avoid disturbing the lions, Simba and his team observed giraffes and Thomson’s gazelles en route back to camp. Suddenly, several motorbikes rushed toward the bush, likely to scare away the lions. Simba quickly returned to calm the situation. Thanks to established trust with local pastoralists, the riders withdrew peacefully.

This marked Simba’s first confirmed lion encounter within Nashulai Conservancy. He noted that herbivores may seek proximity to human areas for safety, inadvertently attracting predators like lions. This incident highlights the complexity of predator-prey dynamics and the urgent need for community-based conflict mitigation strategies in shared landscapes.