A book on the co-existence of the Maasai community with wild animals will be launched in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The book, titled; “The Great Lion Hunt: The Maasai, the Savannah and a Colonial Legacy” is written by Norwegian photojournalist, documentary filmmaker and development worker Ole Bernt Frøshaug.
The author says the publication is a summary of his encounter with the Maasai in Kenya, their old stories and their new reality.
He says for generations, Maasais have lived in harmony with antelopes and predators.
“The narratives artfully intertwine the Maasais own tales, the ancient lore of the lion, Kenya’s colonial past, its fight for independence and the challenges of tourism and neocolonialism,” a brief announcing the launch of the book reads.
The author says he has been involved in safari operations in Maasai Mara and is familiar with its opportunities and curses.
He was encouraged to write the book by an elderly Maasai leader, who lived through the British invasion, the loss of land to European settlers and the more recent influx of safari tourists.
The book was launched at the House of Literature in Oslo, Norway, just before Christmas last year, earning favourable reviews.
Frøshaug lived in Kenya with his family in the late 1990s. Together with the Maasai and some old friends, he started a safari camp in Maasai Mara.
Since then, he has, beside filmmaking, been involved in projects related to tourism, local development and the sustainable use of bamboo for small-scale farmers.
