Once Hunters, Maasai Tribe is Now the Guardian of African Lions

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.

“When I was 25 years old I killed two leopards and a lion. Back then you were considered skilful and strong if you killed a lion. You were considered a powerful lion.”

Petro Lengima Lorkuta, Maasai warrior

But the community is now having a change of heart.

While living among lions, the Maasai tribe has now become their guardian.

More than a third of Africa’s remaining lions live in Tanzania.

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.”

Across Africa, wild lion populations have plunged by about 43 percent since 1993 to no more than 20,000 in 2014. (*IUCN)

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.

Lions are hunted for their bones, to meet the growing demand in Southeast Asia.

“Lions are being killed all over southern Africa in large numbers, and have their faces and feet cut off for trinkets. We are concerned that this trade in lion body parts to Asia could quickly become the number one threat to lions in Africa.”

Paul Funston, South Africa Regional Director of Panthera

(With inputs from AP)