LIVING WITH LIONS

Sharing the Serengeti

Synopsis

Rugari, a cattle herder, his wife Agnes, and their children Nyange and Machaba live in Robanda, one of thirty-eight small villages on the edge of Serengeti National Park. On the other side of the park border, two lionesses guide their cubs through a life of discovery and hardship. No fences separate the two families.

The lion family enjoys a plentiful life when the great herd migrations pass through. But when the dry season arrives, and they face starvation, they get desperate, and cows disappear. The danger from lions becomes accurate for Rugari and his family.

Regardless, his daughter Nyange is drawn to them. Rugari is faced with a terrible decision. Livestock are his family’s only source of income, and he could protect his cattle by poisoning the lions. However, if he’s caught, he will be sent to jail. Nyange insists there must be another way.