The Ewaso Lions Project was founded in 2007 for the protection of the Lions (Panthera leo) and their habitat in Northern Kenya. The project works to study and incorporate local communities in helping to protect the lions in the Samburu National Reserve, Buffalo Springs National Reserve and Shaba National Reserve of the Ewaso Nyiro ecosystem in Northern Kenya. The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a major population decline of 30–50% over the past two decades. Currently there are less than 2,000 lions in Kenya.