Tanzanian wildlife authorities suspect poisoning after 10 lions were found dead Sept. 18 in the Ndutu area of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The area authority said Sept. 19 it had launched an expert investigation to determine the cause and identify those responsible.
CBS News reported long-running tensions between the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and nomadic communities. The Tanzanian government has reportedly pushed back against a growing number of community members living in the conservation area; about 8,000 people lived near the reserve in 1959, compared with 100,000 now. Clashes began in 2022 after an eviction program to move people out of the wildlife area started and reportedly turned deadly at one point.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies lions as vulnerable, citing habitat loss, prey scarcity and encounters with humans.
