Nic Elliot, a researcher from Oxford University, is the Project Director of the Mara Lion Project and with his fellow zoologist, Arjun Gopalswamy, has just published a scientific paper on lion densities in the Mara eco-system, an area generally recognised as having the highest concentration of lions in Africa. Their study focused on the Mara National Reserve, the Mara Triangle and the Mara Conservancies comprising Ol Kinyei, Naboisho, Olare Motorogi, Mara North, Lemek and Ol Chorro conservancies. Since lions have high mortality under one year, in their study they included only those individuals older than one year. Their results show that they estimate lion density to be 16.85 lions per 100km2 which translates to 420 lions across the Mara Reserve and the adjoining Conservancies.
Elliot, Nicholas B., and Arjun M. Gopalaswamy. [Towards accurate and precise estimates of lion density.](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12878/full) Conservation Biology (2016).
The research found that there was a higher lion density in the combined conservancies than in the Mara Reserve itself which Nic Elliot considered quite remarkable given that (in ecological terms) the conservancies are relatively new. So the conservancies have proved to be important lion areas, critical for their survival. And of all the areas in the Mara eco-system, the two places with the highest lion density were Olare Motorogi Conservancy and Ol Kinyei Conservancy, where the Porini Camps are located. This means that these two conservancies probably have the highest concentration of free-roaming wild lions in the whole of Africa! Nic Elliot reported that his research findings should help in opening the eyes of potential visitors to the spectacular wildlife of the conservancies and that lions certainly flourish within them.
Safari goers who would like to come and view these majestic Big Cats in their natural surroundings can take advantage of the latest bargain prices now on offer for safaris to Porini Camps for travel between now and June 2017
