A recent report from Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation
Research Unit says that fewer than 20,000 lions may now survive in the whole of
Africa, although they do not face immediate extinction. The greatest
threats to the species are sport hunting and conflict with farmers over
livestock. The estimate of 20,000 lions or fewer compares with a
population put at about 200,000 in the early 1980’s. The
researchers studied the impact of sport or trophy hunting in Hwange national
park in Zimbabwe, surrounded by hunting concessions where the parks department
allocates an annual quota: the hunters traditionally target male lions.
Findings suggest the levels of hunting there were not sustainable. Of the
adult males the team tagged or collared, 63% were shot by hunters in the
surrounding area. WildCRU estimates there are about 42 adult male lions in
Hwange, where between 1998 and 2002 the hunting quota in the concessions was
set at 63 lions. It says the number shot annually far exceeded the
recommended sustainable level of 4-10% of the adult males. The parks department
is considering lowering the quotas.