Slow elimination of the African Lion by Liandra Ganyiwa

Article by Liandra S. Ganyiwa

The Hwange National Park, being a key component of the Kavango- Zambezi Trans frontier Conservation area, is home to quite a number of animal species with its natural and undisturbed area acting as a habitat to all wildlife found there. Examples of species found in the protected area include elephants, zebras, buffalo, wildebeest, the African Lion only to mention a few. In this article focus will be put on the African Lion, popularly known as the “King of the Jungle”. Africa south of the Sahara. Lions prey on a large variety of animals ranging in size from rodents and baboons to Cape (or African) buffalo and hippopotamuses, but they predominantly hunt medium- to large-sized hoofed animals such as wildebeests, zebras, and antelopes. Prey preferences vary geographically as well as between neighbour prides. Lions are known to take elephants and giraffes, but only if the individual is young or especially sick. However on a sad note, lions’ survival in the jungle has been threatened by a number of factors which have resulted in the reduction in their populations worldwide. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that fewer than 25,000 lions remain in Africa, meaning they are vulnerable to extinction. Their survival is threatened by poaching, loss of natural habitats resulting from increasing population sizes and urbanization, introduction of mining activities to the protected areas, changes in climate patterns, loss of prey in the species range since their prey is now highly on demand by hunters for bush-meat trade, trophy hunting, manifestation of diseases and lastly these precious animal get killed by closer communities in a bid to protect their livestock. A greater percentage of the threats are closely linked to their interaction with humans, which is popularly known as human and wildlife conflict. If no action is done pertaining to the above mentioned threats, extinction of the endangered species will be ultimate result

So what measures should be put in place to conserve the African Lion? First and foremost, helping humans learn how to live with lions is key to ensuring their survival. Conservation organizations are working to change attitudes toward lions through compensation initiatives. Some of these models offer communities financial rewards when their local lion populations rise, while others pay farmers to replace their livestock that have been killed by lions. Participation of all stakeholders involved, at all stages of decision-making is crucial in making sure all decisions made are in favour of all parties. Stakeholders could be nearby or affected communities, government authorities (Environmental Management Agency, Parks and Wildlife Authorities). More research ought to be carried out on the impact of land use change on reserved areas. Land-use changes could include the introduction of heavy mining activities which could result in the migration of the species in question since the noise produced by heavy machinery disturbs the peaceful state of the habitat they prefer. Lastly education and awareness of local communities is vital in order to ensure that the correct information is passed on and solutions on how best human and wildlife conflict are proffered for purposes of ensuring that progress is made regarding the conservation of the African Lion. Everyone has a role to play in the conservation of the African Lion. The time to act is now.