ROVING REPORTERS: From killing lions to saving them — how Kenya’s Samburu warriors repurposed their skills
Once trained to hunt lions, a group of Samburu warriors now track them to protect them. The National Geographic documentary, Pride of Samburu, tells the story from inside a community – where old skills are being turned towards protecting wildlife.
In northern Kenya's Samburu region, Samburu warriors who once hunted lions for meat and property protection have now repurposed their skills to protect the very lions that once threatened them. The National Geographic documentary, Pride of Samburu, reveals how this transformation has taken place. Growing up, Jeneria Lekilelei never imagined that lion conservation would become part of his community.
However, after meeting Dr Shivani Bhalla, founder of Ewaso Lions and a National Geographic Explorer, Lekilelei's perspective shifted. He founded Warrior Watch in 2010, bringing fellow warriors into the conservation effort. The film highlights how local people are now the protectors of their land and lions, rather than the outside world.
Lekilelei feels he has carried his father's legacy forward differently, as his father once killed lions to protect livestock, but now lions are essential to their culture and society. Since starting conservation efforts, the number of lions in their communities has risen from 11 to 60.
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