Sound of strength

A lion’s roar is its way of communicating with companions, claiming its territory, and announcing its strength to rivals. Craig Packer, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and director of the U of M’s Lion Center, has been listening to that sound for 40 years in his study of these endangered predators. In its latest project, Snapshot Safari, the center is enlisting citizen scientists to analyze camera-trap photos of wildlife in the Serengeti and other reserves in southern and eastern Africa, documenting animals’ distribution patterns and providing a glimpse into their lives.