Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the particular reasons why the Maasai ecosystem is home to the spectacular assemblages of the remaining African terrestrial wildlife populations. We highlight how the adherence to locally devised rules, values, and practices play an important role in the management and conservation of land resources particularly wildlife resources. This article indicates that despite the external pressures to dismantle Maasai ecological strategies and practices through imported religions, Western-oriented education, constraining policies, and the cumulative loss of land, the community has continued to maintain significant practices for the conservation of Tanzania’s wildlife ecosystems and livestock. The article extends the overall argument that indigenous practices are central to a continued nurturing of biodiversity conservation.
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