Land Rover sent a prototype of the eagerly awaited New Defender - wearing a special Tusk-branded camouflage wrap - to the Lewa-Borana Landscape in Laikipia, northern Kenya, to be put through its paces by Tusk and our partners. As part of the test, the Defender was able to help support an exercise to GPS-collar a lion and support tracking operations.
We were accompanied by our long-time affiliated photographer David Yarrow who captured a series of images of the New Defender. The overall exercise was supported by Jaguar Land Rover’s worldwide logistical partner and supporter of Tusk, DHL.
Charlie Mayhew MBE, Chief Executive, Tusk said: “This year marks Tusk’s Year of the Lion. Our aim is to raise awareness of the alarming decline in lion populations across Africa. Fortunately, within the Borana Conservancy, there are a number of prides of lion and tracking and monitoring their movements across this vast and tough environment is vital in order to protect them and reduce any conflict with neighbouring communities. The New Defender took everything in its stride, from deep river wading to climbing rocky trails.”
Land Rover has been an official partner of Tusk for 15 years and the Defender was put to work at the Borana Conservancy doing a series of tests. These included a lion collaring exercise, undertaken by Kenya Wildlife Service vet Dr Matthew Mutinda and a team from Lion Landscapes, who work in partnership with local stakeholders to develop holistic projects that support lions, their prey, the habitat and local people. Our thanks go to them, and our other partners on the ground who helped deliver this exciting test including Borana and Lewa Conservancies.
Having successfully completed this demanding testing programme, the New Defender has moved a step closer to production.
Captured on film: Watch the New Defender on test here:
#TeamDefender #YearoftheLion #LionLandscapes #BoranaConservancy #LewaConsevancy #Laikipia
