He was walking to the hotel from a nearby village at night in a situation where, it is believed he could not take precautions.

 

Manyara Regional Police Commander Akili Mpwapwa confirming the incident said it occurred at around 9pm on Monday at the Tarangire National Park.

 

“When he was about to reach the hotel, haphazardly the late Mdee was attacked by a hungry lion and seriously injured leading to his death,” the RPC said.

 

He added: “The lion escaped to an unknown destination soon after hearing noises from the hotel staff who were trying to rescue Mdee.”

 

The male lion was severely injured in several parts of the body, while the deceased was rushed to a nearby hospital.

 

The body of the deceased was preserved at the Babati District Hospital as police continue with investigation.

 

The RPC called upon people to take precautions when getting into the park.

 

According to the American and Tanzanian scientists report, man-eating behaviour displayed by lions in the rural areas of Tanzania increased greatly from 1990 to 2005.

 

Lions may have repeatedly attacked humans as prey because of certain environmental conditions, researchers suggest. The report also notes that man-eating lion behaviour still continues today.

 

Tanzania is believed to have the highest number of lions in Africa.

 

At least 563 villagers were attacked and many eaten over this period—the number far exceeding the more famed “Tsavo” incidents of a century earlier.

 

The incidents occurred near Selous National Park in Rufiji District and in then Lindi Province. 

 

While the expansion of villagers into bush country is one concern, the experts argue that conservation policy must mitigate the danger because, in this case it contributes directly to human deaths.

 

Cases in Lindi have been documented where lions seize humans from the centre of substantial villages.

 

Wildlife animal researcher Craig Packer has documented that between 1990 and 2004, lions attacked 815 people in Tanzania, killing 563.

 

One of the main problems facing scientists researching the behaviour of man-eating lions is that the lions themselves are seldom caught and so analysis is extremely rare.