Stalking Tanzania's Man-Eating Lions Nature's most efficient predators are hunting down the people of southern Tanzania. These cats are cunning, hungry, and—some believe—not of this world. Photograph by Ami Vitale
Ahmad Msham Namalenga holds the lion claw and tree roots that he uses for "white magic," to deactivate a spirit lion that has been unleashed by an enemy.
While most of the residents of Sudi-Mingoyo identify themselves as either Muslim or Christian, traditional beliefs run deep, and notions about spirit lions have existed for generations. Some say people can transform into spirit lions in order to kill their enemies. Others say they are dead people who return to Earth seeking revenge. —Contributing Photographer Ami Vitale
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