African lions 'under threat'

2006-01-17 09:39

Fred Katerere

Nelspruit - The great African lion is under threat - not from hunters, but loss of land.

As a result there's more conflict between people and the lions, said World Conservation Union (IUCN) media and communications assistant, Caroline Gwature, on Monday.

She said a workshop convened by the union and the Wildlife Conservation Society in Johannesburg last week agreed that the lion's habitat needs to be protected.

"There is increased consensus on, and political commitment to the management actions necessary to conserve lion populations over the next 10 years," she said.

In past 20 years, lion numbers have dropped from about 76 000 to between 23 000 and 39 000. They've disappeared from 80% of their former range.

Government, local communities, biologists and safari hunters were represented at the workshop and agreed not only to protect the lions' habitat, but prevent illegal trade in lions and lion products, improve management of lion populations and foster stronger community support for the beasts.

Lion on endangered species list

"Africans know how to live together with lions; they have been doing so for a very long time," said director of the union's regional office based in Zimbabwe, Dr James Murombedzi.

While lion are also killed in regulated trophy hunting safaris, this is not considered a threat to the species, but a way to alleviate human - lion conflict and raise funds for the poor and raise lion conservation awareness.

At the moment, the African lion is classified as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

In West Africa there are less than 1 500 lions who are on the IUCN's Regionally Endangered category.

Results from the West and Central African region will be combined with that of the southern and eastern regions for a lion conservation strategy for governments and international organisations. - African Eye News Service.

- African Eye