Today is World Lion Day, a day to celebrate one of the most majestic and revered creatures on Earth. It is also a day to recognize that we need to take action to ensure the African lion population, with fewer than 20,000 lions remaining, has a future in the wild.

(Photo: Jeff McCurry)

In the South Rift Valley of Kenya, lion populations are growing, while elsewhere across the continent, they are in severe decline. The difference is testament to a human-wildlife coexistence approach taken by the Maasai South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO) out of the Lale’enok Resource Centre.

At the heart of the program is a cadre of local Maasai who are employed as Resource Assessors (RA) to collect and apply ecological information directly relevant to community livelihoods, conservation and development. For example, the Rebuilding the Pride team of RAs monitor lion activity daily through various tracking methods. They share the information with local livestock herders, which enables the herders to make informed decisions on where to graze with minimal chance of conflict with lions.

The Resource Assessors team at Lale’enok Resource Centre

Over the past nine years, the Cincinnati Zoo has supported the growth and innovation of the Centre and its programs. This past year, thanks to a grant through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Grants Fund and Disney Conservation Fund, the Zoo supported the training of Resource Assessors to develop new, effective ways to collect and communicate information about human-wildlife coexistence to communities in the South Rift.

In June, the Zoo’s COO, David Jenike, and I traveled to the South Rift to lead a Community Educators Workshop for the RAs. The purpose of the workshop was to train the RAs on how to more effectively share and disseminate the information they collect to the local community, schoolchildren and visiting international audiences. We spent several days with the group of 14 RAs, discussing and practicing education outreach and community engagement techniques and skills.

RAs work on developing an educational presentation during the workshop

Following the workshop, Dave and I then taught the annual Kenya Earth Expeditions (EE) course. For more than 10 years, the Zoo has partnered with Miami University’s Project Dragonfly to lead graduate courses that take educators into the field to experience community-based conservation, participatory education and inquiry firsthand. The Kenya EE course focuses on co-existence between people and wildlife, and we spend the better part of our time in country working with the SORALO team at the Lale’enok Resource Centre. Having just completed the education workshop, the RAs were eager to try out their new communication skills with our EE students. They did a fabulous job, and I can’t wait to see how much more they develop over time.

The Rebuilding the Pride team of RAs teach Earth Expedition students how to track radio-collared lions

Across the greater part of their range in Africa, lions are not faring as well as they are in the Kenya’s South Rift Valley. We hope that SORALO’s efforts to promote coexistence between people and lions can serve as a model for communities in other regions.

A radio-collared lioness named Nasha and her daughter being monitored by the RAs

Here at the Zoo, we share the story of coexistence between people and wildlife on the African savannah with guests through our Africa exhibit and related education programs. The next time you visit, as you’re watching Henry and Bibi the hippos swim underwater, crushing on Cora the brand new baby giraffe, and admiring John and Imani the lions up close through the glass, I encourage you to reflect on the bigger picture. All of these animals you connect with at the Zoo have counterparts in the wild that rely on the capacity of our own human species to maintain a healthy planet and share our space with them.

Guests visit John and Imani in the Africa exhibit (Photo: Mark Dumont)

Co-written with Kristina Meek, Wild Encounters Interpreter

Sometimes we think of art and science as living at opposite ends of a spectrum. Maybe you imagine that your zoology-loving child will say, “Art is sooo boooring,” when actually, art has the power to enrich lives at any age. According to PBS, for example, exposing kids to art can positively impact their motor skills, decision making, language skills, and more. Here’s how your Zoo visit can bring art to life for your child.

1. Notice color, and help your child do the same. A great place to start is in the Wings of the World bird house where you’ll find an array of different birds in brilliant colors. Point out how colorful plumage, such as the iconic tail feathers of a peacock, can help male birds attract mates. Ask your child to point out what colors she sees and which ones she likes best. Bring crayons and paper along so that your kids can capture what they see.
   

   Colorful peacock! (Photo: Deb Simon)

2. Study the murals in the animal exhibits in Night Hunters. They were painted by artist John Agnew, who has also painted murals for Cincinnati Museum Center, Miami Whitewater Forest, and for zoos as far away as Moscow, Russia. As a youth, he became interested in dinosaurs and reptiles, and took part in the Dayton Museum of Natural History’s Junior Curator program. His penchant for animals and talent for a realistic style of painting combined into a successful career. Agnew helped found Masterworks for Nature, a group of 15 prominent Cincinnati area artists, who raise money for conservation through the sale of their artwork.
   

   Bobcat exhibit (Photo: Mike Dulaney)

3. Admire a reproduction of a 2013 painting by renowned wildlife artist John Ruthven entitled Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon. The painting depicts Martha, the last known passenger pigeon, leading a flock. Martha lived at the Cincinnati Zoo, and when she passed away in 1914, the passenger pigeon went extinct. This painting was reproduced by Artworks on the side of a building in Downtown Cincinnati to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Martha’s passing in 2014.
   

   John Ruthven with his painting, Martha – the Last Passenger Pigeon (Photo: Ron Ellis)

4. Go on a scavenger hunt to find the many animal sculptures displayed throughout the Zoo. Ask your child to imagine how they were made. What can they learn about the animal’s features from studying them? Here is a short list:
   • Hippos and lions in the Africa exhibit
   • Gorillas outside Gorilla World
   • Manatees and crocodiles outside Manatee Springs
   • Galapagos tortoise near the Reptile House
   • Tiger in Cat Canyon
   • Passenger pigeon at the Passenger Pigeon Memorial
     

     Hippo sculpture (Photo: Shasta Bray)

5. Check out the recycled materials art in the Go Green Garden. Every year or two, the Zoo works with a school or community group to create a new piece of art for display in this space. The current piece was created by the 2014-2015 Colerain High School Ceramics/3D class. Ask your child to notice what types of recycled materials were used. What other materials could they imagine using to create their own recycled art?
   

   Recycled art created by Colerain High School students (Photo: Shasta Bray)

6. Turn your own Zoo photos into art. While you’re visiting, take lots of photos. (Why wouldn’t you?) Play with photo filters or experiment with Photoshop or a similar program at home. If your child is more tactically inclined, print the photos and together you might add borders or other embellishments. They’ll end up with a cherished memento of their visit.
7. Visit our animal artists. Some of the animals who live at the Zoo, including elephants and rhinos, moonlight as artists. Observe each of these animals closely and see if you can figure out how they’re able to paint. Want to display a one-of-a-kind masterpiece created by one of our animal artists in your own home? Purchase one online or book a behind-the-scenes experience that involves watching a penguin, goat or elephant paint a canvas just for you.
   

   VIPenguin Tour

8. Get a “handimal” painted especially for your child. Visit the booth near Vine Street Village where the artists will turn your child’s handprint into a colorful and creative animal image. You’ll leave with a unique keepsake and your child will witness an artist at work.
   

   Handimals! (Photo: Shasta Bray)

Our new Malayan tigers, Jalil (male) and Cinta (female), have made their public debut in Cat Canyon just in time for our International Tiger Day celebration. This Friday, July 29, Cat Canyon keepers and Zoo volunteers will be on hand at the Malayan tiger exhibit to share the latest news on our tigers and the need for tiger conservation. Throughout the day, there will be special presentations and activities for guests and tigers alike.

Jalil scopes out his new digs. (Photo: Kathy Newton)

While we celebrate and increase awareness for tiger conservation here at the Zoo, we also continue to support tiger conservation in the wild through Panthera’s Tigers Forever program. In Malaysia, Panthera works with international partners to train local rangers to patrol forests, gather intelligence and arrest poachers in Taman Negara National Park and Endau-Rompin National Park.

Panthera employs cutting-edge technology in the fight against poaching. PoacherCams are motion-activated cameras that send real-time photos of people engaged in illegal activities to law enforcement. Thanks to these efforts, recent population monitoring data indicates that the tiger population is stable in Taman Negara and increasing in Endau-Rompin. Great news for Malayan tigers!

Cat Canyon keeper, Mike Land, talks to visitors about tigers (Photo: Crissi Lanier)

So come on out to the Zoo on Friday and celebrate with us! New this year, our vendor will offer discounts on tiger face painting to support the event so you can take your tiger fandom to the next level.

Tiger fans! (Photo: Cassandre Crawford)