The Maasai’s Relationship with Lions: Conservation Through Coexistence

The olng’esherr — the lion hunt — was once central to Maasai male identity. A young warrior who killed a lion with a spear demonstrated courage, endurance, and readiness for leadership. The lion’s mane was a mark of status. This tradition, combined with livestock predation, drove lion populations in Maasailand to historic lows through the 1990s and early 2000s.

The shift has been remarkable. Organisations including Lion Guardians work with former hunters, training them as monitors who track individual lions by name, mediate human-lion conflict, and receive income from tourism and conservation funds. Young Maasai men are now building reputations not from killing lions but from knowing lions — their territories, personalities, and family histories.

Lion populations in Maasai conservancies adjacent to the Mara have increased significantly under this model, while participating communities report higher average household incomes than non-participating neighbours.