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Leela Hazzah sits in wait. Scanning the faces of those who pass, she and an assistant search for a young man just released from jail. His crime: a killing in the African savannah.
“That’s him,” says the helper, as Kamunu pedals past on a bike.
Hazzah approaches, and a partnership begins. As they chat candidly about Kamunu’s offenses and past regrets, her vision of transforming killers into protectors becomes even more concrete.
The meeting helps guide an organization that, now in its eighth year, is making great strides in protecting African lions, one of the planet’s most threatened species. By enlisting local Maasai (pronounced mah-sigh) and other tribal warriors who were once a principal threat — hunting the animals as a source of prestige and in retaliation for livestock attacks — Lion Guardians uses an innovative approach to help the people and lions of East Africa coexist.
This Alumni World entry is an excerpt from On Wisconsin. To read the full story, please visit onwisconsin.uwalumni.com.
Where do you call home? What place with a Badger connection is most special to you? Where have you left your mark on the world?