A much-loved lioness at Kenya’s Maasai Mara game reserve, fondly nicknamed Queen of the Mara Triangle, has died. The lion belonged to Angama pride in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

The big cat was also known as Mama Kali – Swahili for “fierce mother“. The famous Lioness reportedly died last week in a suspected human wildlife conflict. 

In Maasai mara it is the males who carry big reputation and are awarded iconic names e.g. Scarface, Morani, Notch the list goes on. Rarely does a lioness take on legendary status.

She was thought to be about 14 years old and led the Angama pride which lived in the larger Mara conservancy. Researchers from the Mara Predator Programme collared her in 2020 so she could be easily tracked and monitored.

Kenya’s population of lions stands at 2,589 according to a recent wildlife census. Wildlife enthusiasts are paying their tributes to the lioness. The legendary lioness was a key attraction of tourists in Kenya.

“Mama Kali was dear to us all. I clearly remember seeing her for the first time back in March 2018. Back then, she had a large pride laden with cubs of various ages. This pride kept visitors from across the world enthralled.

“Over the duration of her life, we as a guiding team have spent countless hours with her. She taught us so much about lion behavior.’’ Said a Mara guard.

There has not been certainty regarding the reason for her death. However, it is highly likely she fell victim to human- wildlife conflict. 

Her brutal death highlights the critical need for everybody in the society to conserve the world and its inhabitants.  

Now,more than ever, we need to explore creative solutions on how we can all work hand-in-hand for the protection of animals and humans alike.