I felt fairly safe in my safari vehicle in the Serengeti where this male lion lives. However, in other parts of Tanzania, humans are not so fortunate. David Blair reports in the Telegraph that the number of lion attacks since 1990 have tripled in Tanzania. Blair indicates that about 100 people fall prey to lions today. Tanzania represents the last great bastion for lions in Africa. Of the 30,000 lions in Africa, over half roam Tanzania. About 8,000 lions in Tanzania are located in national parks and while the other 7,000 follow their prey just about anywhere they can find it, including people. In some regions where wild prey is down and human population is growing, lions seem to adapt quickly and pursue human prey as readily as they give chase to wildebeest in the Serengeti. Villages in the Mkuranga district just south of Dar-es-Salaam are visited regularly by lions. Dr Craig Packer, a known lion specialist is studying the problem to both limit risks of lion attacks on people and protect the lion from extinction.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Animal Kingdom Turns the Table
I felt fairly safe in my safari vehicle in the Serengeti where this male lion lives. However, in other parts of Tanzania, humans are not so fortunate. David Blair reports in the Telegraph that the number of lion attacks since 1990 have tripled in Tanzania. Blair indicates that about 100 people fall prey to lions today. Tanzania represents the last great bastion for lions in Africa. Of the 30,000 lions in Africa, over half roam Tanzania. About 8,000 lions in Tanzania are located in national parks and while the other 7,000 follow their prey just about anywhere they can find it, including people. In some regions where wild prey is down and human population is growing, lions seem to adapt quickly and pursue human prey as readily as they give chase to wildebeest in the Serengeti. Villages in the Mkuranga district just south of Dar-es-Salaam are visited regularly by lions. Dr Craig Packer, a known lion specialist is studying the problem to both limit risks of lion attacks on people and protect the lion from extinction.
