When it comes to South African wildlife, the most popular without question is the lion. The so called “King of the Jungle” is the most anticipated animal for most tourists visiting Kruger National Park. Seeing these animals in their natural habitat was truly a life changing experience. These majestic wild cats, though not critically endangered, face many threats that are causing a decline in their populations. It is more important now than ever to address these threats and configure solutions to protect these beautiful creatures.
These carnivorous animals are now extinct in fifteen different African countries, and the total population has decrease by 43% in the past 23 years. Lions are a crucial part of the savannah’s ecological stability as they provide both population control and food for scavengers such as vultures and jackals (Brown, 2018). The main causes of the populations decline are habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade, and other conflicts with humans. Lions habitats are continuously being taken over by the growing population of humans, and seeing how the African population is predicted to grow by over a billion in the next 15 years, we can expect these habitats to shrink immensely (brown, 2018). National parks and conservancies are being created to ensure the survival of lions and other endangered species, but there are still other factors that threaten the lives of these animals.
Lions are often hunted and poached for profit. Poachers and farmers sell the hide and bones of these animals, and most are not concerned with the steady decline of the lion population. Poachers tend to ignore the boundaries of national parks as the animal populations are far greater in those areas. Conservation biologist Kris Everatt states that at the rate that lions are being poached, “[we] could end up with the only place left with wild lions in Africa being Kruger National Park” (Carrington, 2018). There are also instances of farmers that indulge in “canned hunting,” where lions within the boundaries of their land are slaughtered for their hides and bones. The National Council for the Societies of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has begun charging farmers that partake in these practices with animal cruelty (Wilson, 2019). Farmers are also killing lions by using poison. In order to prevent lions from feeding on cattle, poisoned carcasses are used to eradicate the threat to their livelihood (Dobb, 2018).
Measures are being taken to prevent the slaughter of lions but there is not enough funding or support to effectively put a stop to these atrocious acts. There are under twenty thousand lions left in the wild and the number is decreasing dramatically. If we are to see the lion population stabilize, it is important to implement more strict regulations and provide more security to the endangered species that are threatened by these factors.
Works Cited
Brown, Matt. “When Lion Habitat Disappears.” The Nature Conservancy, 14 Dec. 2018, https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/africa/stories-in-africa/when-lion-habitat-disappears/.
“The King Is under Threat.” African Wildlife Foundation, 24 Sept. 2019, https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/lion.
Carrington, Damian. “Lion Poaching: the Brutal New Threat to Africa’s Prides.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 5 Nov. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/05/lion-poaching-the-brutal-new-threat-to-africas-prides.
Wilson, Amy P. “South Africa’s Fallen Pride: How Law and Government Fail to Protect Lions • The Revelator.” The Revelator, 22 May 2019, https://therevelator.org/lion-hunting-south-africa/.
Dobb, Edwin, and Charlie Hamilton James. “Why Poison Is a Growing Threat to Africa’s Wildlife.” National Geographic, 10 Aug. 2018, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/08/poisoning-africa-kenya-maasai-pesticides-lions-poachers-conservationists/#close.
