The Institute has called for sustained investment in scientific capacity and collaboration to strengthen lion monitoring and conservation across Africa. The call was made during the closing ceremony of the International Training Workshop on Lion Monitoring Using the Spatially Explicit Capture–Recapture (SECR) Method, held at Maasai Lodge, Kajiado County. The two-week training, held from September 28 to October 8, 2026, brought together practitioners from nine African countries to build technical capacity in scientifically robust lion population monitoring. The closing remarks by the Institute's Director, Dr Patrick Omondi, were delivered by Dr Shadrack Ngene, Head of the Biodiversity and Ecosystems Dynamics Department. He commended the workshop’s practical approach, which combined classroom-based learning with intensive field training. Participants undertook a nine-day live-lion survey in Nairobi National Park, working in three teams conducting surveys twice daily. The field exercise enabled participants to apply SECR methods in a real-world setting, from data collection and management to analysis and generation of lion population estimates for Nairobi National Park. "The 2026 survey marks the fourth systematic lion survey conducted in the park, following surveys in 2018, 2021 and 2022. Previous surveys estimated lion densities at 18.52, 26.90 and 27.74 lions per 100 square kilometres, respectively, providing a valuable baseline for comparison with the latest findings," he said. The Institute in collaboration with partners, will work towards establishing a sustainable annual short course to expand access to advanced carnivore monitoring skills across Africa. We thank the training team led by Dr Nic Elliot, Dr Arjun Gopalaswamy, Kasaine Sankan and Dr Monica Chege, as well as the Lion Recovery Fund, Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Wildlife Trust for their support.

A new generation of wildlife practitioners is being equipped with advanced scientific tools to improve how lion populations are monitored, measured and managed across Africa. The Institute has convened an International Training Workshop on Lion Monitoring Using the Spatially Explicit Capture–Recapture (SECR) Method, bringing together 31 wildlife practitioners from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, Cameroon and India. Held at Maasai Lodge in Kajiado County, the two-week training, running from 28 September to 8 October 2026, is designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to apply modern, scientifically robust approaches to lion population monitoring. Officially opening the workshop, the Institute's Director Dr. Patrick Omondi highlighted the critical role of reliable and timely data in addressing the complex challenges facing lion populations and their habitats. “Reliable and timely data is critical in addressing the multifaceted challenges affecting lion populations and their habitats. This workshop has been convened to strengthen the application of modern methodologies in lion monitoring and inform management decisions,” Dr. Omondi said. The SECR methodology provides reliable estimates of lion population size and density, generating evidence that can directly support wildlife management and conservation decisions. Importantly, applying the same methodology consistently across ecosystems and over time allows population estimates to be compared. This creates a stronger scientific basis for tracking population trends and assessing whether conservation interventions are delivering the desired outcomes. Dr. Omondi emphasised that the workshop is designed to translate scientific knowledge into practical conservation action. “This training is not an academic exercise, you will be producing science that will be used in lion management. Data generated through the training will also contribute to the National Wildlife Database, strengthening the country’s long-term record of lion populations and supporting future monitoring and conservation planning,"he said. The workshop is being convened by the Institute in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Wildlife Trust (KWT) and the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund, with trainers drawn from the Lion Recovery Fund. The training builds on a similar workshop held in 2022 and marks another step towards strengthening the capacity of wildlife practitioners to generate high-quality data for lion research, monitoring and conservation across Africa.