Member since 2013.
Dr Shivani Bhalla is the founder and co-leader of Ewaso Lions, a Kenyan conservation organisation dedicated to promoting continued coexistence between people and large carnivores. Born and raised in Kenya, she has spent over two decades working in the Samburu-Isiolo landscape alongside local communities to protect lions and their habitat.
Shivani’s work focuses on reducing livestock loss while strengthening community-led conservation. Under her leadership, Ewaso Lions has developed programmes such as Warrior Watch, Mama Simba, Lion Kids Camps, and Kura’s Pride, all rooted in local knowledge and participation.
Shivani is a recipient of the Whitley Gold Award (2023) and is an Explorer with National Geographic. She holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Oxford and serves on several conservation bodies, including the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and Kenya’s Large Carnivore Taskforce.
Based in Samburu, she continues to lead efforts that demonstrate how long-term conservation success depends on trust, collaboration, and community ownership.