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It was once a matter of 'pride' to hunt a lion for the Maasai community, an ethnic tribal group which lives mainly in Kenya and Northern Tanzania.
But the community is now having a change of heart.
While living among lions, the Maasai tribe has now become their guardian.
A few years ago, Saitoti Petro would have followed in his father Lorkuta’s footsteps, and would have hunted down any predator that attacked their livestock. But Petro is now part of an effort to protect lions.
Expressing concern over the killing of lions, the Maasai warrior said, “When lions go extinct, that will represent a major loss. Children who are growing up will never see lions. They will just be a fairy tale.”
This has put lions on the list of species that scientists consider "vulnerable" to extinction.
The biggest reason for the decline is the loss of habitat. But on open savannahs where lions still roam, poaching for body parts and revenge killings are the next most significant threats.
Retaliatory killings have also become more deadly in recent years, as many people have switched from spearing individual lions to leaving out poisoned carcasses.
(With inputs from AP)
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