A Chinese civil servant went on safari in Kenya. Now lions are his life

Wildlife conservationist Zhuo Qiang is on a mission to save the lions, and he wants other Chinese to get involved

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Zhuo Qiang has spent 14 years as a wildlife conservationist at Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. Photo: Handout

Published: 5:00pm, 14 Jul 2024

Chinese wildlife conservationist Zhuo Qiang has lived among lions. He has also taken care of them, and other wild animals, at Kenya’s famed Maasai Mara National Reserve for the past 14 years.

Known locally as Simba – meaning “lion” in Swahili – Zhuo has worked with the local Maasai community to protect wildlife and reduce conflict between humans and animals during his time at the reserve in Narok, a county in southwest Kenya.

And he wants other Chinese to get involved.

“I really hope that there will be more Chinese conservationists coming and settling here. But so far, nobody,” Zhuo said, though he added that there were “more Chinese communities supporting our work”.

Zhuo, 50, could be about to see more interest, after hosting the first China-Kenya Wildlife Conservation Cooperation Forum last month. Hundreds of Chinese citizens and organisations attended the event aimed at showcasing what was being done and exploring ways to provide support.

“We have set up a platform to encourage and inspire Chinese communities living in Kenya as well as Chinese tourists who visit Kenya to join our conservation efforts,” Zhuo told the Nairobi event.