In sharp contrast to most other African peoples – and certainly to ‘western’ farmers – the Maasai tolerate wild animals.
To the west and north of the Maasai Mara it is commonplace to see cattle and goats feeding in close proximity to giraffe and zebra. It is true that the Maasai will kill lions and other predators that threaten their livestock, but there has been no wholesale destruction of large carnivores comparable to the elimination of wolves in America and Europe, tigers in Asia or lions and hyenas by other African peoples.
In addition to the Maasai Mara, many of East Africa’s most famous wildlife reserves are in ‘Maasailand’, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Amboseli.
The future prospects of the Maasai and these protected areas is deeply intertwined – it is crucial that the Maasai benefit from the tourist economy but are still able to maintain their pastoral lifestyle.