Wyoming rancher Doug Samuelson was camping in the African backcountry, surrounded by the sounds of wild animals, when he realized there was one animal he wasn't hearing — lions. When he asked his friend Ivan Carter, a South African conservationist, about it, Carter told him that the lions were gone due to poaching. 

That absence of lions in a place where they should be abundant led Samuelson, with the help of Carter and the Cabela family, to organize the most significant international relocation of lions ever undertaken, according to Cowboy State Daily. 

Given the vital role lions play in the ecosystem, this undertaking was crucial. Lions aid in controlling herbivorous animal populations, which, in turn, influences vegetation health. Healthy vegetation helps sequester carbon, which mitigates damage to the climate.

Samuelson, who studied wildlife management at university, had a history of conservation work before deciding to orchestrate the operation to relocate lions. The Wyoming Department of Game and Fish recognized him and his wife in 2015 for their supervision and protection of over 30,000 acres located in the Laramie Range. 

Samuelson shared tales of wildlife conservation on hunting trips, which is where he met Carter, who runs the Ivan Carter Wildlife Conservation Alliance.

After their initial meeting, the two continued going on hunting trips and safaris together; one of these trips was the camping trip that gave Samuelson the idea for lion relocation. 

However, funding was a problem, as transporting lions across international borders is no small feat. Doing so requires a plethora of resources and paperwork, including permits, aircraft for moving the animals, and years' worth of anti-poaching support to help prevent the new lions from suffering the same fate as the others.

That's when Samuelson and Carter decided to approach the Cabela family, proprietors of one of the world's largest outdoor outfitters and founders of the Cabela Family Foundation. After a few conversations, the Cabela Family Foundation agreed to fund seed money and pay for anti-poaching support. 

After that, it was 18 months of figuring out the logistics of moving 24 lions from various areas in South Africa to Mozambique. The group worked with vets to find healthy young adult lions, and finally, everything fell into place. 

On August 5, 2018, three years after Samuelson decided to try to relocate lions, 24 were successfully transported. As of 2025, that population of 24 has grown to 100.

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Samuelson's work didn't end when the relocation was completed, though. Since then, he has repeatedly returned to South Africa to aid with the ongoing work of monitoring and collaring wildlife. Additionally, he explained that the anti-poaching work was never-ending. 

However, Samuelson and the Cabela Family Foundation have built ties with local communities to discourage poaching, as well as helped create schools and clinics, and taught villages to grow rice and keep bees. 

As Cowboy State Daily reported, Samuelson explained, "It's more than just releasing the lions. It takes huge anti-poaching and community buy-in and government buy-in."

It's all been worth it, though, to hear the lions at night once again.

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