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