Misleading portrayal of exchange with Maasai

The human rights organizations FIAN and Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) have sharply criticized a press release issued by the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) on September 20, 2025, regarding its cooperation with the Maasai in Tanzania. The press release is misleading, omits key facts and conveys a completely false picture of the exchange to date, emphasizes the Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA), to which both FIAN and STP belong, in a statement published today.

MISA emphasizes in the statement that the FZS has never sought dialogue and has left essential criticism unanswered. “We were the ones who requested talks three years ago, not the FZG,” the network clarifies. From MISA's point of view, the FZG's role in the violent annexation of 1,500 km² of Maasai land in 2022 is particularly serious. At that time, nearly 100 Maasai homesteads were destroyed and thousands of Maasai were forced to flee or were expelled from their homes to make way for the establishment of a hunting reserve. Media reports, letters from local authorities, and the FZG's very active involvement in land use plans show, in the network's view, that the FZG bears significant responsibility. Village representatives have repeatedly called on the organization to cease its work in the Ngorongoro district.

MISA also firmly rejected the FZS's claim that projects were being implemented in a “participatory” manner at the meeting. “Many Maasai are not informed, not involved, and experience the FZS's cooperation with government agencies as intrusive,” the network criticizes. In addition, the FZS has not taken up the Maasai Conservation Vision, a vision of a nature conservation approach for their land developed participatively by Maasai representatives and presented in January 2025. “We presented the Frankfurt Zoological Society's paper in Tanzania in January. During discussions in September, it became clear that the paper had been largely ignored and that its implementation in operational business had not been seriously discussed,” criticize FIAN and the STP.

MISA is also very concerned about the appointment of the new FZ´S country director in Tanzania, Maurus Msuha. Mr. Msuha was involved in the violent resettlement in 2022 in a leading position in the government. He is also an active proponent of trophy hunting. This personnel decision raises serious questions about the FZG's orientation.

The STP and FIAN emphasize: “Despite years of efforts, dialogue with the FZS has not brought any improvements for the Maasai. They are extremely frustrated and once again call on the Frankfurt Zoological Society to cease its conservation activities on Maasai territory.”

The MISA statement is available as a PDF here.

For further information, please contact:g

Roman Herre, Agricultural Advisor at FIAN Germany, at r.herre@fian.de or 0221-47449113.

Laura Mahler, Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa at the STP, at l.mahler@gfbv.de or 03051 / 695825-3.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at presse@gfbv.de.