Tourist camps in the Maasai Mara may limit how many lions certain areas can support, according to a new study published in Conservation Science and Practice . The research found, although tourism remains central to conservation funding, the presence and concentration of camps can reduce local lion densities even in areas with abundant prey.
The study examined the Maasai Mara National Reserve and eight surrounding conservancies covering 2 363 square kilometres. Researchers mapped tourist camps by size and year of establishment, using camp size as a proxy for overall impact, and combined this with eight dry season lion surveys conducted between 2014 and 2022. Lions were identified by their unique whisker spot patterns to enable accurate estimates of population density over time.
Our results indicate that lions avoid areas with tourist camps regardless of prey availability, said Niels Mogensen , Senior Programme Scientist at the Mara Predator Conservation Programme. Even where prey is abundant, the presence of human infrastructure reduces how safe lions perceive the area to be, leading to lower local densities.
