Can Good Come From Maasai Lion Killings in the Serengeti?
One Maasai warrior died during a ritual lion killing near Tanzania's Serengeti National Park.
A lion's death is a common occurrence on the Serengeti plains, in northern Tanzania, where life is perilous even for the greatest of predators.
The deaths of four lions (two confirmed, two probable) and one Maasai warrior constitute a more notable smash of misfortunes, reflecting tension between ancient cultural practice and conservation in the borderlands of Serengeti National Park.
And when three of those lions have featured as star characters in National Geographic, we take note with special concern.
The news arrived last week by email from Daniel Rosengren, field observer for the Serengeti Lion Project, a long-term study run by Craig Packer of the University of Minnesota. On April 6, making his rounds to monitor lion prides, Rosengren
