By Edward Qorro
Tanzania has the largest number of lions compared to other African countries, a new report says.
There are estimated to be between 14,000 and 15,000 lions in the country today, thanks to an extensive network of protected areas in form of national parks, game reserves which form at least 300,000 square kilometres.
“This ensures sufficient space for the lions to hunt (feed) and breed and protection from human disturbance and for the ecological balance needed for their survival,” said Dr Dennis Ikanda, Principal Research Officer in charge of Carnivore Ecology and Conservation at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri) yesterday.
Dr Ikanda, who was reacting to a recent study released by the University of Oxford on the dwindling number of lions in Africa, noted that there were estimated to be over 16,000 Panthera leos in Tanzania, nearly a decade ago, a clear affirmation of the country’s zeal in the protection of its rich wildlife diversity.
The researcher, who is also a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Cat Specialist Group, however, cautioned that the number of lions could decline if recurrent conflict between humans and wildlife was not resolved.
But even in Tanzania, the number of lions living outside protected areas is declining due to habitat loss, natural prey and conflict with pastoralists,” warned the researcher during a telephone interview with this paper.
Released on August 3, the report entitled “State of the Lion: Fragility of a Flagship Species” by Amy Dickman and Amy Hinks from the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford, suggests that wild lions have vanished from 95 per cent of their historic range. According to the study, there are only 22,509 wild lions left in Africa. Read more…
