Can Wildlife and People Live in Harmony?

Over the past decade, lion expert and conservationist, Dr. Laly Lichtenfeld, has researched declining lion populations throughout Africa due to human encroachment. During a recent TEDx conference, she spoke specifically about the conflict between lions and the Maasai of Tanzania.

Livestock is a sacred and valuable commodity to the Maasai but an easy meal for lions.  The loss of a cow has an immediate impact on the personal wealth and prestige of a herdsman. With so much at stake, the Maasai often engage in retaliatory killings of nearby lions.

Dr. Lichtenfeld believes this activity has contributed greatly to the overall decline in lion populations.

Watch the video below to learn about Living Walls, the innovative fencing enclosure developed by Dr. Lichtenfeld. Her on-ground, non-profit organization works with the Maasai to build these enclosures and educate and empower their communities. Dr. Lichtenfeld says this combination of elements has “transformed warriors fighting wildlife into warriors for wildlife.”

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