Conflict Over Dead Lions in Maasai Territory in Tanzania: Human Rights Organizations Call for Independent Investigation

The human rights organizations Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) and FIAN Germany support the call by the Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA) for an independent investigation into the deaths of ten lions in the Ndutu area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) in Tanzania. On September 18, 2026, the dead animals were discovered in the area, which is primarily inhabited by the indigenous Maasai. The organizations have expressed concern over the incident and have also criticized the media coverage of it.

On September 19, the NCAA issued a statement suggesting that the lions may have ingested poison. International coverage of the incident implies that local residents poisoned the lions. “To date, there is no conclusive evidence that the animals were actually poisoned by local livestock herders. These allegations must first be investigated independently. Nevertheless, international media have linked the incident to local residents,” emphasize the STP and FIAN. Furthermore, they note that the NCAA is not an independent authority but is jointly responsible for the displacement of the Maasai from their territories.

The organizations are calling on the media to explain the context of the situation on the ground in their reporting and not to present a one-sided view. The incident is unfolding amid an already highly tense situation: The NCAA is currently restricting local Maasai communities’ access to the Oldupai/Ndutu area, which serves as vital grazing land during the current dry season. It is essential for the Maasai’s survival and is simultaneously under considerable pressure from tourism development. MISA fears that the lions’ deaths could be exploited to justify further restrictions and the resettlement of the Maasai in the region.

“More and more land in northern Tanzania is being reclassified as nature reserves for safari and hunting tourism. For decades, this development has been deliberately used to drive the Maasai from their ancestral lands. The argument is repeatedly made that the presence of the Maasai has negative effects. Yet they have lived in harmony with nature and wildlife for centuries and protect the local ecosystem,” explain FIAN and STP. Furthermore, the picture is deliberately distorted: Mass tourism places a far greater burden on nature than the local population.

“We call for a prompt, transparent, independent, scientific and participatory investigation into the deaths of the ten lions. The investigation should objectively examine and establish all possible causes of death and should not be guided by predetermined assumptions or allegations against the local communities,” explains MISA in a statement. It is also of crucial importance that the communities living in the area be actively involved in the process. The Maasai’s traditional ecological knowledge and their long-standing experience of living alongside wildlife could provide valuable insights into the animals’ behavior, environmental changes, and the possible causes of death—while also contributing to the credibility, impartiality, and legitimacy of the investigation.

STP and FIAN support the appeal to the NCAA, the relevant government agencies, and stakeholders in the nature conservation and tourism sectors to

• refrain from any restrictions that limit the Maasai’s access to their grazing lands;
• refrain from any violence or harassment against pastoralist communities.