African Lion - SAVE Wildlife Conservation Fund

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Lars Gorschlüter
SAVE African Animals
African Lion
Conservation and Classification
African Predators
Carnivores belong to the family of mammals. The term “carnivora” was derived from the Latin
caro, carnis (meat) and vorare (V). However, not all carnivores live off of meat. Ecologists describe
a predator as being an organism that consumes the whole or parts of other living organisms.
Hence, their prey is still alive at the time of consumption. That is why herbivores, carnivores and
parasites all belong to the same family of predators.
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Carnivores have a highly important ecological function, as, by hunting prey, they prevent certain
kinds from multiplying too much, which could otherwise harm certain vegetations and endanger the
stabilization of the ecosystem. Predators are also referred to as ecological key stone species or
umbrella species because of their particular preference in food, but also because of their size and
their low psycho-logical tolerance regarding environmental fluctuations.
Hence, their important ecological role makes predators quite valuable and worthy of protection. If
they are protected so are multitudes of other species. With that said, predators are one of various
sensitive indicators that account for the health of an eco system’s welfare.
An important reason for the decline of many natural inhibited wildlife populations (especially
carnivores) is the conflict between wild animals and humans. Even in our project’s region of
central Kalahari, such a conflict is present. The need for more land among the population has
steadily increased, which, in turn, has brought a growing pressure on wild animal habitats.
Conservation of African Lions (Panthera leo)
Throughout the African continent large predators such as the lion are
under serious threat due to fragmented landscapes, low densities and the
inevitable conflict with people for space and resources.
Protected areas such as national parks or privately owned conservancies
therefore remain critical for their conservation. However, there is
increasing evidence that even within protected areas where carnivores
should thrive, the type of anthropogenic influence determines the
survival of the species.
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Classification: Grade of endangerment: 3 – slightly endangered
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Lions
Characteristics
Lions are the king of the jungle. They have a massive build and abundant strength. They can weigh up to 250 kilo; reach a
body length of more than three meters and a shoulder height of up to one meter; and are said to be ten times stronger
than any human being. It only takes one stroke of the paw for a lion to break the necks of their prey.
Hence, it is no surprise that the lion is found on so many crests, seals and flags, as it stands for power and dignity.
Findings show that the first lion species lived over 1.75 million years ago.
A typical characteristic is the illustrious lion mane. It takes up to five years for it to grow to its fullest splendor. The mane
serves as protection to the male in battles with other animals. For this reason, the female lioness does not have a mane.
Moreover, it would be more of a handicap, as the females are entrusted with hunting and breeding. To a further extent,
studies show that male lions living in colder regions tend to have a fuller mane than those that are found in warmer
climates. Thus, they serve as a protection against the cold.
A lion’s age can be calculated by the gradual discoloration of their teeth, called Melanism. They can live up to 20 years.
Another famous feature is the tassel at the tip of a lion’s tail. The tassel conceals a rudimentary spine.
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Habitat
Today, lions are found mostly south of the Sahara in the vast
Plains Of West and East Africa.
They have been extinct in North Africa since the 1940’s, became
Highly endangered this past century in Asia and only a few
hundred reside presently at Gir-Nationalpark in India.
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Social Behavior
Lions are group animals. They are social wild cats and said to be one of the most intelligent animals. They are not as clean
as house cats, as they only tend to clean the bridge of their nose regularly. However, cross-cleaning does occur in extreme
cases.
Lions live and hunt in prides of up to 30 other cats. The work distribution is well-defined among the animals. Prides can live
in territories that range to 400 squared kilometers. They mark their territory by spraying their urine. Males are busy
defending their territory while females care for the cubs and prey. Usually, a pride consists of about three males and
related females with their cubs. The males are the head of the hierarchy. The hierarchy is sustained even when it comes to
consuming prey: first, the males eat, then the females and last, the cubs. Typically, if the young cubs are of the pride male,
they precede the females. A male lion can devour up to 20 kilos of meat per meal. A lion’s roar serves as a defense
mechanism and can be heard up to 8 kilometers away.
Lions hardly have any natural enemies because of their known strength. Only hyenas must be defeated occasionally
because of the food rivalry between these two species, which has existed since primeval times. Saber tooth cats, for
example, an extinct wildcat line, often left at least half of their game for hyenas, mostly because back then, they had
undeveloped teeth that did not allow a full consumption. Hence, only the lion breed with the shorter teeth survived, which,
in turn, resulted in the extinction of the referred to type of hyena. Thus, through evolution, a new type of hyena evolved
that had to fight the lions for food from then on. Usually the lions win the fights and kill the hyenas. However, they never
eat them. Battles among a pride occur for the sake of the hierarchy. It is rare that they result in death. Yet, if a male
„outsider“ tries to take over the pride a violent power struggle does arise. In the event that the intruder wins the fight, all
the pride’s cubs are killed. This way, the female lions are willing to mate quicker so the new pride leader can spread his
genes. This insemination process can take up to four months.
If the inferior loser happens to survive the battle it becomes a nomad and must forever fend for itself. Though usually it
dies due to the effects of the brawl. Male lions tend to lead a pride for an average of 2-3 years, before a younger, stronger
single male banishes or kills them. Some are even able to reign over two prides at the same time. On the contrary, females
usually stay associated with the same pack their whole lives. Young males must leave their pride when they have reached
their third year of birth. These single lions, known as nomadic males, graze through the plains until they are sexually
mature, which is around the age of five. Frequently, two or more nomadic males will form their own association and take
on new territories and their females. This is crucial to the lion species, as this way, they are able to intermix their genes.
There is a 90% chance that a pride takeover is successful when there are three nomadic lions involved. The quota for one
nomad to succeed is only 1:6. Naturally, single males favor weaker coalition partners, as to increase the chances of
spreading their own genes.
Diet
Lions hunt in groups. They prefer hunting in the morning or at night. They wait in ambush, encircle the prey, and then take
it down by using their claws to attack. The act of striking usually results in a tear of the prey’s aorta. Hence, it bleeds to
death. Most often, lions attack antelopes, gnus, buffalo and zebras, but in the national parks of Botswana they even hunt
young elephants and hippopotami.
First, the mouth is eaten, intestines and organs follow. Lions also enjoy eating the entrails of ruminants, as they are highly
rich in vitamins. Whoever is initially at the kill and begins eating first claims primacy. However, lions do eat collectively.
Unlike leopards they will eat carrion. In fact, they account for 1/7th of a lion’s diet. An adult wildcat will typically eat up to
20 animals a year.
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Reproduction
Female lions become sexually mature between the age of three or four years. Males can smell the hormone odor females
spread when they are in estrus. That is how they know it is mating season. For this purpose, males have a specific organ
called the "Jacobson-Organ", which is found in the lion’s palate. The male cat pulls its upper-lip back and opens its mouth
in oder to perceive the lioness’ hormone level. However, it can not mate with a female if she is not willing to. Willingness
is projected when a lioness lays down on her stomach, thereby allowing the male to mount her. Females are generally in
heat for five days. During this time copulations take place up to 40 times a day. The actual ovulation does not occur until
after mating. If the male happens to be reproductively weak the female will seek a different mating partner.
Breeding cycles can depend on the amount of prey. Often females of a pride breed synchronously. This serves to raise the
cubs’ chance of survival, as there are no older cubs that eat the younger ones food. Lion offspring are blind the first two
weeks after birth. They are nursed for 6 months and aren’t weaned from their mother until after a year. They weigh about
two kilos when they are born. As a result of food shortage, negligence and the takeover of power by other males, only
20% of lion cubs live to experience more than 2 years of life. 27% of all cubs die from the hierarchy invasion of another
male lion. In order to increase the survival rate of a cub and to protect them from hunters, the females relocate to
different hiding places every three to four days. During this process, they hold their cubs so they can not be traced. Lion
cubs are not just nursed by their mothers, they are raised collectively. After about six months the young lions begin to eat
meat.
When they are four months old they join their mother for the first time on a hunt and watch and learn. They do not fully
master their hunting skills until they are two years old. They can not roar until then either.
Enemies
According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) there has been a 50 % decline of the lion
population in the past 30 years. Some experts even speak of a 90% reduction. Fact is, whereas in 1980, there were an
estimated 250,000 lions, today they only number 20-30,000. The IUCN has red-listed them by giving them the rank of a
"threatened species" (rank three). The cause for their level of endangerment is man, as lion hunting has always been a
favorite past time to humans.
Reasons for a lion’s threatened species status
1. Trophy Hunting
Roughly, since the beginning of man time, humans have been hunting
for lions. Today's vast hunting industry is proof enough. It is norm for
hunters to hunt male lions. Overall, a total of 4-5000 lions are bred so
man can hunt. Often, hunting farms offer lion killings for 16,000 dollars.
Apart from the decline in lion population, the hunt for male lions also
results in a constant change of pride leader. When the head of a pride
dies, a nomad usually takes over and kills the cubs. Such a chain of
effects occurs in such short intervals that consequently, the death rate
of cubs increases to 70%. Female lions may kill offspring that is not
from a pride leader as well. Thus, a young lion’s chance of survival
increases when a nomad coalition seizes a pride.
2. Confrontation with farmers
Time and again, farmers kill lions out of protection for their herds.
Naturally, such farm herds are easy prey to lions that have wandered
out of the parks or their territory to find food. In addition, lions are
easily lured away beyond their borders when their prey is in search of
water. However, there are many projects and ways that can prevent
lions from killing farmer’s herds. But unfortunately, farmers usually
choose the easy way out and simply shoot the predators.
Although they do get compensated by the government for their loss,
there are regulations that are difficult to fulfill. The farmers must be
able to prove that animals are missing and were killed by wild cats.
Other ways of prevention are driving the herds into stables at night (lions are night active), 24 hour supervision by dogs
(studies have shown that lions tend to avoid watch dogs), or erecting pens to keep the lions out and the herds in.
Furthermore, wildlife parks could move nomad lions to more remote parks, as the nomads seem to be the ones that
keep wandering back to the same farmyards. Additional solutions to avoid lion-wandering are to build water reservoirs
and provide enough prey in the wildlife parks.
Fact is, we must find a way to ensure the survival of this species, despite man. And the first most important measures to
take are to raise awareness and approach the matter professionally.
3. Diseases such as LLF and the FIV Virus (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)
A dramatic problem among the wild cat populations since 1995 are the diseases LLF and FIV. Especially in the
southern part of Kruger National Park in South Africa, tuberculosis and the FIV virus have taken their toll on lions. To
this date, there is no vaccine for these diseases.
Tuberculosis, which affects the digestive tract, is transmitted to lions through the eating of buffalo, which are virus
carriers through domestic cattle. Lions with tuberculosis lose so much weight in such a short period of time that
among other things, they are prone to more illnesses such as the FI Virus. Hence, mortality rates go up. Almost 90 %
of the lions living in Kruger National Park have this bacterial infection. In 1962, it was an epidemic of biting house flies
that killed many wild cats. As a result, a genetic shift took place, reducing the genetic diversity drastically.
Most likely, the bacteria and viruses are originally brought to Africa by domestic dogs. 1000 lions died in the Serengeti
in 1994 because of dogs that carried them. However, since house dogs can not survive in wildlife parks, there must be
an animal that acts as an agent. Many study cases were performed and discoveries were made that 96% of all lions
have an anti-body for the Feline-Herpes-Virus. 42% have an immune complex for the Feline-Immune- Deficiency-Virus
and 26% have one for the Canine-Distemper-Virus. Furthermore, experts found that the viruses in Botswana and
Tanzania form their own sub type. In Tanzania, it is said that the animals were infected by the Fi-virus much earlier
than it broke out. Similar to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, it can take up to four years for an outbreak to occur.
In cases as such, it is most likely that jackals are the agent. A way to determine the rate of infestation faster and more
efficiently would be affordable urine tests.
A simple vaccination for house-held dogs alone would protect from such infectious diseases. Unfortunately, although
several of these vaccinations are on the market, they are usually not enforced. Beyond that, a better control and a
registration of dogs would also be a productive attempt. A different approach would be to genetically mix the lions
from Kenya and South Africa.
Obviously, there is still much to be done when it comes to calling attention to the problem, educating and actually
implementing solutions.
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250.000
200.000
150.000
100.000
50.000
1975
1990
2002
2006
Figure 1: Shows the estimated population and the decline over the last 30-35 years.
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Picture: Lion darting , Kalahari, Botswana.
In Africa, lions (Panthera leo) are on a rapid decline. From an estimated number of 200,000 African
lions in 1975 (Myers, 1975), less than 100,000 remained by the early 1990s (Nowell & Jackson, 1996)
and current population estimates range from as low as 23,000 (Bauer & van der Merwe, 2004) to
39,000 (Chardonnet, 2002). The most recent, and probably most accurate, estimate numbers the
continent-wide lion population at less than 28,000 (IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, 2006).
Key publications:
Bauer, H., van der Merwe, S. (2004) Inventory of free-ranging lions (Panthera leo) in Africa. Oryx, 38:26-31
Chardonnet, P. (2002) Conservation of the African lion. International Foundation for the Conservation of Wildlife and Conservation Force, Paris
IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group (2006). Regional Conservation Strategy for the lion Panthera leo in Eastern and Southern Africa. IUCN SSC Cat Specialist
Group, Gland, Switzerland
Myers, N. (1975) The silent savannas. International Wildlife, 5:5-10
Nowell, K., Jackson, P. (eds) (1996) Wild cats: status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN, Gland
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