For generations, Masai tribesman on the spectacular African plains in southeastern Kenya have hunted lions -- to protect their livestock and their livelihoods.

Today they celebrate the lion's life.

Noah

He is part of a group of Masai visiting the United States promoting the Predator Compensation Program.

Conservation International's Frank Hawkins explains. "The Masai have been living with wildlife for many generations and it has been a conflicting relationship in many ways. They compete with the savannah animals for food and the lions eat their cattle.  We're trying to find ways in which the wildlife become an asset to them."

Frank Hawkins

One man said that in the past, when a lion killed cattle, they killed it on the spot. And now, after the start of the program, the Masai see the lion population growing."

With more lions, ecotourism is on the rise, creating jobs, and the growth of the Fund, co-founded by Tom Hill. "What I think our Predator Compensation Fund has clearly demonstrated is that we have not taken the lion away from the culture of the Masai, but today they are celebrating the preservation of the lion, not the killing of the lion."

Tom Hill

One of the Masai’s herdsman says "Now, after the inception of this project, it is raising the living standard of the locals."

Conservation International has joined forces with the Ol Donyo Trust, extended the program to neighboring ranches, and says it can be a model used to protect species throughout Africa.