The tragedy is that these are the most diverse savanna ecosystems that have ever existed. Most amazingly, the Serengeti Ecosystem is essentially intact, with enough land area protected to encompass the entire ecosystem and very little impact to date on those lands. BUT, if that protection falters, the trip from intact and integral to degraded and unsustainable is frighteningly quick at the hands of man. When domestic livestock enter lands occupied by wild game, the first effect is a disruption of predator-prey interactions. We have chosen a cheetah to color this page because they are often the most vulnerable.
Cheetahs are amazing hunters, but timid with potential competitors.
Cheetahs are very easily scared off their kills and if feeding young, that disturbance can quickly cause starvation. Furthermore, Maasai herders will obviously protect their herds, which can mean killing lions if threatened. Two recent incidents by unknown culprits involved the killing of a rhino in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, where the horn was left intact - clearly a political statement, and spearing of an Elephant in Amboseli National Park. On their last remaining lands, disturbed wildlife has no land left to migrate into. Elephants when forced out of traditional ranges can become rogues, especially if they have been injured by a spearing or gunshot wound in the process.