Alan, a young male, had to be euthanized after being trampled by buffalo.
It is normal for tens of thousands of cattle to come into the reserve at night, whereas long ago this only happened under conditions of extreme drought.
On Tuesday, Simindei Naururi and Kulangash Toposat were arraigned in Narok, Kenya. A third person is being held as a material witness for the prosecution, according to a press release from the Kenya Wildlife Service, and a fourth suspect is sought.
Anne Kent Taylor, a conservationist at the Masai Mara reserve and a National Geographic Big Cats Initiative grantee, was distressed at the news. “I’m madder than a spitfire, and my heart is just absolutely aching,” she said.
It appears that eight lions have been poisoned, but the effects go beyond them. So far, 11 vultures have been confirmed dead, likely from feeding on the carcasses of the dead lions. There are no reports so far of sick hyenas, which have also scavenged one of the lions, but they may be affected too.
Lions in the region have been under great pressure. Not only are human-lion conflicts on the rise as the cattle encroach on their territory, but cattle illegally grazing on the reserve have diminished plant life, which in turn has driven away herbivores. Fewer herbivores means fewer meals and more difficult hunts for the lions.
The poisoning first came to light when a BBC film crew noticed the lions behaving strangely, spasming and struggling to stand. They called Patrick Reynolds, the manager of the nearby Governors’ Camp. Reynolds immediately contacted the mobile veterinary unit funded by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Guides from the Governors’ Camp stood watch during the night to make sure hyenas wouldn’t attack the weakened lions, and the veterinarian, Dr. Limo, arrived in the morning.
According to Reynolds, the young lion Alan was treated with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone and atropine, which is an antidote for pesticide poisoning. It was likely a pesticide in the highly toxic carbamate. Carbamates such as carbofuran, which is banned in the European Union and effectively banned in the United States, have often been used to poison wildlife.
These pesticides work by blocking an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine to builds up, causing the nervous system to overexcite, which can cause death.
Lion numbers in Africa have decreased by about 50 percent since 2003, and a recent study found their numbers are likely to fall again by half in the next 20 years without major conservation efforts. There may be as few as 20,000 left, according to National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative.
Part of that decline has been attributed to intentional pesticide poisonings.
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