Twilight of the Lions?
Thursday, December 6th, 2012December 6, 2012
Lions may soon disappear from much of Africa, according to research by conservation biologists. Lion populations in many parts of Africa have plunged, but scientists have been uncertain about the prospects for lions in different parts of the continent. The new research created unprecedented maps of habitat destruction in Africa, using high-resolution satellite images. The research suggests that lions in many parts of Africa may not have sufficient habitat to survive.
Lions in western Africa may be at greatest risk, with only 500 lions remaining in an area larger than the continental United States. Lions in western Africa have lost 75 percent of their habitat, mostly to agriculture. Much of the habitat that remains is fragmented into patches that may be too small to sustain lions.
The study estimated that only about 32,000 lions remain in all of Africa, down from an estimated population of 100,000 in 1960. More than 6,000 of the remaining lions live in small, isolated populations that are at great risk of becoming extinct.
Another 24,000 lions live in areas the researchers identify as strongholds, with protection from hunting and healthy populations of 500 lions or more. These areas are located in southern and southeastern Africa. Lion populations in strongholds are unlikely to die out in the near future.
Lions face a number of threats, all of them related to people. Farmers have destroyed large areas of lion habitat. Ranchers may shoot or poison lions in the name of protecting livestock. People also have killed many of the animals that lions hunt for food.
The research was led by Stuart Pimm of Duke University. It was published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation.
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