HOPEFUL STORY: Lion-killing Kenyan Masai warriors become lion guardians - VIDEO

[Nothing Without Hope]

Traditionally, killing lions as part of male coming of age rituals and as revenge for cattle killings has been an integral part of the culture of the Masai of Kenya. As a result, what was once a population of tens of thousands of lions has been reduced to about 2000, threatening the economically important local tourist industry as well as the natural ecological balance. Now the warriors are compensated for cattle deaths and earn an income from tracking lion prides using antennas to follow lions they have collared. The location of the prides allows them to select safer areas to herd their cattle. This video, from the Scientific American web site, tells the story.

The video lasts about 5 minutes.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/video.cfm?id=47419404001





I posted this originally in General Discussion ( http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6915285 ), but it sank instantly into oblivion. Hoping for more visibility here.

[virgdem]

1. This is good news...

I'm very hopeful that this trend continues with other African species, but the big cats are especially endangered. Better to have the native tribes working for the animals than against, and it is economically beneficial to them as well.