African Lion
African Lion - SAVE Wildlife Conservation Fund
African Lion - SAVE Wildlife Conservation Fund
- No tags were found...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Enemies<br />
According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) there has been a 50 % decline of the lion<br />
population in the past 30 years. Some experts even speak of a 90% reduction. Fact is, whereas in 1980, there were an<br />
estimated 250,000 lions, today they only number 20-30,000. The IUCN has red-listed them by giving them the rank of a<br />
"threatened species" (rank three). The cause for their level of endangerment is man, as lion hunting has always been a<br />
favorite past time to humans.<br />
Reasons for a lion’s threatened species status<br />
1. Trophy Hunting<br />
Roughly, since the beginning of man time, humans have been hunting<br />
for lions. Today's vast hunting industry is proof enough. It is norm for<br />
hunters to hunt male lions. Overall, a total of 4-5000 lions are bred so<br />
man can hunt. Often, hunting farms offer lion killings for 16,000 dollars.<br />
Apart from the decline in lion population, the hunt for male lions also<br />
results in a constant change of pride leader. When the head of a pride<br />
dies, a nomad usually takes over and kills the cubs. Such a chain of<br />
effects occurs in such short intervals that consequently, the death rate<br />
of cubs increases to 70%. Female lions may kill offspring that is not<br />
from a pride leader as well. Thus, a young lion’s chance of survival<br />
increases when a nomad coalition seizes a pride.<br />
2. Confrontation with farmers<br />
Time and again, farmers kill lions out of protection for their herds.<br />
Naturally, such farm herds are easy prey to lions that have wandered<br />
out of the parks or their territory to find food. In addition, lions are<br />
easily lured away beyond their borders when their prey is in search of<br />
water. However, there are many projects and ways that can prevent<br />
lions from killing farmer’s herds. But unfortunately, farmers usually<br />
choose the easy way out and simply shoot the predators.<br />
Although they do get compensated by the government for their loss,<br />
there are regulations that are difficult to fulfill. The farmers must be<br />
able to prove that animals are missing and were killed by wild cats.<br />
Other ways of prevention are driving the herds into stables at night (lions are night active), 24 hour supervision by dogs<br />
(studies have shown that lions tend to avoid watch dogs), or erecting pens to keep the lions out and the herds in.<br />
Furthermore, wildlife parks could move nomad lions to more remote parks, as the nomads seem to be the ones that<br />
keep wandering back to the same farmyards. Additional solutions to avoid lion-wandering are to build water reservoirs<br />
and provide enough prey in the wildlife parks.<br />
Fact is, we must find a way to ensure the survival of this species, despite man. And the first most important measures to<br />
take are to raise awareness and approach the matter professionally.