On Wednesday, Dec. 19, she was busy capturing the attention of sixth-grade students at Maple Avenue Middle School.

According to www.lionconservation.org, up until recently scientists believed there were 100-200,000 lions living in Africa. Mathieson said that number has drastically declined over the last 20 years. She estimated there are about 28,000 of them left, with roughly half that number living in Tanzania.

“I don’t think people are aware of the plight of the lion. They’re getting wiped out fast,” Mathieson said.

Originally from the United Kingdom, Mathieson has lived in Zimbabwe and Kenya for most of her adult life. In addition to lion research, which she’s done for a total of eight years, Mathieson has studied leopards and black rhinoceros.

Mathieson is currently working as part of the Laikipia Predator Project in Kenya. She recently began her Ph.D in human-lion conflict resolution.

By getting a better understanding of lion behavior, she hopes to find ways to help people live with the animals. Mathieson believes coexistence between humans and lions is crucial since protected areas aren’t large enough to ensure the survival of the species.

Since the locals in Kenya depend on livestock for their livelihood they see lions as an unnecessary danger. Mathieson said the majority of lions don’t go after cattle because they know humans may kill them for doing so. However, some lions still kill the cattle despite the risk.

“It’s not too late,” she said of efforts to save the lions. “At the same time, you can’t just expect poor, rural Africans to live with lions without some sort of financial incentive.”

Mathieson hopes to provide people in the Western world with a better understanding of how difficult it is to live with lions. Her presentations for students aim to show the kids just what conservation involves.

“I do this because I love the work. I have children, and it’s sad to think that some species of animals won’t exist when they get older,” she said.

The guest speaker was brought to the school by local community members who serve on the Loisaba Community Conservation Foundation’s board of trustees. LCCF, a charitable trust registered in Kenya, owns a 100-square-mile ranch that provides refuge for native species of animals, allows local tribes the opportunity for employment, and whose profits support schools, clinics and a library.

The event is linked to an ongoing project at the middle school involving about 150 sixth-graders who have pen pals at a Kenyan school.

For more information about Mathieson’s research or to learn what you can do to stop the lions from disappearing, visit www.lionconservation.org.