The lions and the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania share a long history together. It involves a unique ritual that has been practiced for hundreds of years.
In this ritual, young Maasai men must prove their skills and courage by killing a wild lion. Warriors risk being attacked and maimed, but in most cases it is the lion who ends up being killed. But while the Maasai warriors become legendary, their escapades retold and embellished, and their reputation envied, there is one less lion in the world.
So the Maasai know they must say goodbye to tradition, because lion numbers are dropping dramatically. Only 20,000 wild lions remain in all of Africa.
With the lions being endangered, how can the Maasai celebrate the rite of passage from boy to man? The elders have come up with an ingenious solution: the Maasai Olympics. Instead of killing a lion, the Maasai must now compete on an athletic level. Skills and bravery can still be measured, with the young men fighting for medals instead of dead lion trophies.
This way, the lion, friend and foe of the Maasai, is spared its life to roam the great African savannah.