It’s been another fast-paced year here in Amboseli, and the momentum is really starting to build for the Maasai Olympics Finals on December 14th. After fierce local competition, team selections have been made and the regional competitions are complete. Everyone is now looking towards the upcoming finals, when warriors will try to leap, hurl, or sprint to glory.

This time, the warriors are not just competing against their fellow age-mates, but also against the incoming generation of warriors, for whom this will be their first Olympics. It is a significant milestone, because it marks the transfer of knowledge and understanding about conserving lions to the next generation, exemplifying the multi-generational impact the Maasai Olympics has made.

Twelve years since the first Maasai Olympics, and the lion population of the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem is stronger than ever, boasting more than 250 lions. It is a dramatic reversal from the double-digit counts when the games first began. The focus on ending lion killing has been so widespread, that discussions at Olympics-related meetings and regional events are now able to address additional challenges facing conservation in local communities, including habitat protection for lions and other animals, in order to reduce the human-wildlife conflicts that arise.

We’re honored that the games this year will be hosted yet again on Kimana Sanctuary, thanks to our partners at Angama Amboseli. And we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors: Chester Zoo and Play for Nature / Parc Animalier d'Auvergne.

Through our Predator Protection Programs like the Maasai Olympics, we hope that both local communities and lion populations will continue to win – today, tomorrow, and far into the future.