Shocking; Lions almost extinct in West Africa

Source : Scientificamerican.com , January 8, 2014

The populations of other large mammal species declined an average of 85 percent in West Africa between 1970 and 2005

This has been ongoing but researchers never thought that there would be this few lions in the country.

Back in 2005, before the survey began, West African lions were believed to live in 21 different protected areas. But now a paper about the survey, published today in PLoS One, confirms that lions actually exist in just four of those sites..

The research team conducted in-person surveys in 13 of the 21 protected areas—each of which was larger than 500 square kilometers..

Devastating Realization

The counts:

The researchers found the most West African lions in W-Arly-Pendjari, a complex of parks that crosses the borders of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger, which they estimate to hold about 350 big cats. The three other sites in Senegal and Nigeria are each estimated to have fewer than 50 lions

Even on the website of the UICN, the Lion (Panthera Leo) is just classified as ' Vulnerable ';

Link

Tthe IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, which determines the conservation status of wild cats around the world, is also tackling the thorny issue of lion taxonomy, which may result in new classification for the West African lion. The IUCN currently lists the West African lion as a population, not a separate subspecies, and considers it to be endangered. “If West African lions were indeed classified as a separate subspecies by IUCN/SSC, we would recommend listing them as Critically Endangered,”

Why is this happening?

Amongst the killing, selling :

..declined an average of 85 percent in West Africa between 1970 and 2005, mostly to feed the voracious demand of the bushmeat trade. The 11 nations of West Africa are among the poorest on earth and include six of the world’s least developed countries. The countries in the region have no money for conservation, and the study found that most of the protected areas that were expected to contain lions had little to no enforcement, security patrols or management

Lions are being eaten, killed for medical purposes, sold for their bones ..and other cruel things.

If this doesn't stop, the Lion as we know it would be extinct before the elephant. Who would have thought?

It pains me to see such a beautiful animal at the brink of extinction.



This needs to stop. Period.

Long live the King!

S&F

reply to post by coolism


Blame all those big strong men with their great big guns and teeny tiny little penii. So much to prove and so little to back it up. Messes up a guy's mind dontcha know.


:angry:

All our humanitarian goals. To think that we are moving ahead into the future through Advancement of technology, travelling into outer space; yet we can’t even care for one of our planets very own species.

Soon, like the future of most other animals, they will become extinct. And the very few that survive, will survive in captivity.

reply to post by coolism


Same with Tigers, there are as few as 3,200 left in the wild. It's very sad!
Link

At least we know there is unlimited space for population growth (sarcasm). Let's just keep pushing them out to accommodate our wants and needs.

Maybe they can step up conservation efforts but that's tough with the wide spread territory. Look at elephant slayings with the efforts. Lowland gorillas, elephants, wild cats...all in less than 50 years - seems to correspond to population growth to me.

I wrote a short story long ago about the state burial of the last lion. That was pure fiction. And now look at the state that humans have brought the world too.

So much for the myth that poor people live more in harmony with nature.

Did some of you read that article right? These are indigenous people of those nations killing them and eating BECAUSE THEY NEED FOOD..
It has nothing to do with some big man with a gun or a little penii, these people probably kill them with bows and other things, they do not need a gun to kill them.. I bet they can't afford a gun.

I am sad the lions are being wiped out but to blame the people there that have nothing to eat is silly.
It is not cruel, its survival..

starfoxxx
Did some of you read that article right? These are indigenous people of those nations killing them and eating BECAUSE THEY NEED FOOD..
It has nothing to do with some big man with a gun or a little penii, these people probably kill them with bows and other things, they do not need a gun to kill them.. I bet they can't afford a gun.

I am sad the lions are being wiped out but to blame the people there that have nothing to eat is silly.
It is not cruel, its survival..

You said it better than I did.

reply to post by starfoxxx


Some of the reasons are indeed that the indigenous people need the lion meat for food, but that's not the main reason why lions are becoming extinct. The trade of Lions, their bones, fur, you name it, is a large reason why they are becoming extinct.

Some of these hunters just kill those Lions for FUN...can you believe it? For fun...

reply to post by ketsuko


There are 2 main reasons being mentioned here:

Scarcity: The need of the people to supply their food with Lion meat

Value: Lions being killed and traded for all kinds of things.


Recap: The article indeed focuses mainly on the poverty of the institutions themselves that restricts them from being able to protect the lions.

So its all of the above: Lion-meat, Trading and lack of resources to do anything about it because of poverty.

reply to post by coolism


And you think the same people who are killing the lions for food aren't also selling the rest for the value?

I remember seeing somewhere that lions could go extinct in 10-20 years. Frightening perspective.

We humans put ourselves over everything so much that we might be the first specy on this planet to bring every other ones alongside its own extinction.

If humanity can save other animals on the brink of extinction that nobody even knew about then I say humanity can easily find a way to save the Lions. It would be easy to galvanize people into helping the lions as they are such a treasured animal on this planet. WHen word gets out about this in a larger venue I'm hoping the animal conservation groups will get a surge of help to address this issue with the lions.

Come on humanity we got work to do. God made us stewards of this planet and all of its animals. Its our job to protect and conserve it too. Man Gods going to be pissed when he finds out we dropped the ball with the lions.

Poachers and people exploiting the lions for anything other then in really dyer need of food should be shot..
The article focuses on the nations poor not being able to provide conservation, and killing the lions for food.
If the people need to eat, who am I to say don't kill that lion, your CHILD can die?

The Fulani herders and their cattle need to stay out of the protected areas, and stop
carrying poison to kill lions that attacked their herds.
They also need to start eating beef if the only other source of food is lion.

This makes me sick! I used to work with Big Cats & they are still me favorite
animals to work with, Majestic.
The trophy BS needs !

Cheers
Ektar

reply to post by starfoxxx

 

The article focuses on the nations poor not being able to provide conservation, and killing the lions for food.

If they are intelligent enough to kill lions, surely they must be intelligent enough to find another means of survival. I dont think its a matter of killing them for their food. It would surely have somthing to do with survival in terms of protection.

EsotericGod

reply to post by starfoxxx

 

The article focuses on the nations poor not being able to provide conservation, and killing the lions for food.

If they are intelligent enough to kill lions, surely they must be intelligent enough to find another means of survival. I dont think its a matter of killing them for their food. It would surely have somthing to do with survival in terms of protection.

Early man was intelligent enough to kill animals for food, it does not take rocket science..
Especially when you have 6-8 men with some form of bows, arrows, spears, ect..
I'm sure people have died trying to kill a lion for food.
If they want conservation, then the international community needs to provide it..
How can those africans living in dirt huts and barely enough to eat let alone having to kill
lions and elephants for survival for themselves, going to be able to provide any conservation?

Species go extinct. For the great majority of history of Earth, they've done it without human activity. Evolution. Fate.

When it is obvious that we humans are the dominating factor in the extinction of a species, particularly the remaining great fauna, for no reason other than our arrogance and our negligence ... (The lions aren't dying out because a few people are eating them.) ... there is a rage coupled with disgust that kindles in my heart that I can't even describe.

For example, in light of that article posted above, how do you feel after you read THIS one?

TV Presenter Sparks Anger After she Boasts About the Lion she Shot Dead (On Twitter)