I am a coauthor of a letter recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in response to criticism of an earlier paper that cited some of my data on lion numbers in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Hopefully this letter clarifies any questions and helps underscore just how important appropriate conservation actions are for the future of the species. A big thanks to my coauthors for including me! Here is the letter and I am happy to provide the earlier paper upon request: