The Marsh Pride: end of an era

Jonathan Scott: The poisoning of members of the Marsh Pride, the world's best known lions, highlights the need for a lasting solution to human-wildlife conflict in Africa

On Sunday morning (6 December 2015) news broke of the poisoning of members of the Marsh Pride. These are the lions that Angela and I have followed since 1977 and were the stars of our "Big Cat" TV series, that documented the fascinating and often tumultuous life of the pride over a period of more than 12 years.

The Marsh Pride occupies a territory on the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, one of Africa's foremost protected areas. All members of the "big five" (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and black rhinoceros) are found on the vast plains of the Mara, plus a wealth of other wildlife.