Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya is one of the last wild regions on this planet and home to thousands of rare and exotic animals in their natural habitat but this 62,000 acre park's resident's are under constant threat of poaching.  Since illegal ivory trade is on the rise the last wild Black Rhino's in Lewa are being targeted for their horns.

Friday night, I attended a lecture at the Metroparks' Rocky River Nature Center concerning a local woman's safari to the beautiful Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.  The lecture covered a wide range of topics including the history of the park and their efforts to save endangered species from poachers as well as sharing hundreds of stunning images of wildlife taken in the preserve.

By Kevin Walsh

The most fascinating part of the experience occurred during the question and answer portion of the program. A fellow audience member had asked a question concerning the Masai people's culture (a tribe residing in the region) which the lecturer was not able to answer.  The question would have remained unrequited if it had not been for the lucky happenstance that one of the audience members was a Masai who had previously been a guide in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

By Willam Warby

The Masai audience member was more than happy to share some of his culture with the group and his presence truly enriched the entire experience.  How odd it was to have someone with such experiences attend a small lecture in the park half-way across the world.

It was a real treat to learn more about the Lewa Downs and it's important mission; I would encourage you to do the same!

If you would like to help Lewa's mission be sure to show your support here!

This lecture was part of the Cleveland Metroparks' Friday Nights with Nature lecture series.  The Metroparks are running this series through the winter and have a few more programs left.  Click here for the park schedule!