The suroival of our wildlife is a matter of grave concern to all of u; in Ah-ica. 1-hess， wdd
creatures amid the wild places they inhabit are not only important as a ;ource ，~f w~，ml~ ~
and inspiration but are an integral part of our natural resources and of our {lttur， hv~ hh， .~，，!
and well-being.
MWALIMU JULIUS K. NYERERE， FIRST PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA
Two tawny ears were all that were visible of the lioness crouched among the
smooth-surfaced rocks of the granite outcrop. She gazed into the distance， ~harp
eyes narrowed to golden slits， her attention riveted on the column of black speck*
emerging out of the dawn on the eastern horizon. Every so often she shook her
grizzled head， temporarily dislodging the horde of bothersome flies that clung t~
the edges of her ragged ears. Even at that great distance she recognised the
approaching animals as wildebeest. They were one of her most favoured pre，，
and， old as she was， she was still quite capable of killing for herself.
The rocky island which hid the watching lioness rose like some medieval
fortress among the vastness of the Serengeti plain. Besides lions， such outcrop，
or kopjes harbour an extraordinary variety of creatures， some of which spend
their entire lives cloistered within these secret environs. No single group ~t
kopjes is quite the same as another. Each， in its own way， acts like a stone ark
anchored in a sea of grass.
Distinctive clusters of kopjes bear names bestowed on them long ago by
nomadic tribesmen and adventurers of an earlier era: Masai pastoralists， trophy
hunters， game wardens. To the west are the Moru Kopjes， a sprawling complex
of rock shrouded by thick vegetation where plains and woodlands merge. Here
each year a pair of Verreaux s eagles build their huge stick nest on a pedestal of
rock， soaring overhead on long black wings in daily search of an unwary hvra~.
To the east stand the low flung Gols， gaunt， lonely shapes set among the ，hort
grass plains， where cheetahs often hunt. Near the centre of the park within
sight of Seronera Lodge - the Masai Kopjes attract bus-loads of tourists who
gather expectantly each morning and evening in the hope of catching a glimpse
of the leopard and her two boisterous cubs which have temporarily taken up
residence there. And， close to the main road between Naabi Hill and Seronera，
are the Simba Kopjes， jutting from the earth thirty metres high in one place， and
named for the lions that are so often found there， keeping watch over the plains
from some cool place of concealment.
The wildebeest moved steadily closer， breaking into a gallop as they shied away
from a small pack of muddy-coated hyaenas， whose thick hair)， necks were
matted red with the blood of last night s kill. But the predators hardly seemed to
notice the passing herd， content for the moment to slumber full-bellied in their
favourite wallow. The wildebeest had spent the night feeding on the higher
ground to the south. Now they were headed towards a pool of sparkling blue
water where zebra had already gathered to drink in the shadow of the Simba
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