South and Western African Lions, these powerful and iconic figures of the world, in history have had no natural predators. Until recently, the population of African lions have plummeted in a violent manner. Because of the loss of living space and conflict with humans, over the course of a century the estimated amount of lions has dropped from nearly two hundred thousand to a mere twenty thousand. Lions are now extinct in over twenty-six African countries and have vanished from ninety percent of their historic range. Even being reduced to living on only 8% of the land they had once originally occupied. This limitation affects their ability to mix and breed, also meaning that their natural prey has been reduced, leading to starvation.
These numbers have been dropping rapidly, the main culprit being trophy hunters. People of varying nationalities, primarily American, pay money to be escorted by locals into a “region” with known lions living in the area. After they kill an animal, the parts they gather from the body are sold for large sums of money. The most notable example of these trophy hunters would more than likely be the killing of Cecil the Lion, where an American hunter became the world’s most despised dentist in a matter of days. The man, Walter Palmer, payed $55,000 to have Cecil led out of his reservation, where he then baited, shot with a bow and arrow, stalked, shot with a gun, decapitated and skinned the 13 year-old black mane lion named Cecil. However, as sad and disturbing as this story may be its only one of an averaged 665 killings that happen every year (roughly two a day).
In late 2015, a new act was gained following the murder of Cecil. African Lions finally gained access to the endangered species act. These new rules specifically address trophy hunts like the one undergone by Walter Palmer that led to the death of Cecil. In a move that was roughly several years in the making, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service made a statement that the African Lion would “formally” be protected under the United States Endangered Species Act. In a more specific sense, the lions under protection are located in habitats throughout the sub-Saharan Africa. In earlier times, they were found along the Mediterranean coast, the middle-east, and a fair amount into Europe. Now, lions are found in grassland and savannah habitat, scrubland, bush, and open forest. These lions in particular are of a sub-species that is now called “P.I. leo” (Panthera leo). Only an estimated 1,400 of these lions remain in the wild and they’re scattered over a dozen countries, including the critically endangered Asiatic lions of India. The Endangered Species Act has been setting a vital new course for African lions and their survival, who are currently projected to lose yet another 50% of their population over the next twenty years.
Among all the threats lions face, loss of habitat, loss of prey and retaliation killings for livestock depletions are all factors that have led to the downfall of lions. The endangered species act has also made a new standard so that countries where hunting is allowed, must prove to the F.W.S. that their laws and programs actually protect the lion populations. Unfortunately, due to the state they live in, very few lions die peaceful deaths. Most are either killed by rival prides or human activity. It is, of course, this human activity that proves to be an actual threat to the species survival. Habitat destruction also has a part to play in the decline of these magnificent carnivores, as growing populations of people appropriate more land for their cattle, goats, and farming activities. Some 80% of the savannah has been fragmented by humans over the past fifty years. Large parks and reserves are the best conservation hope for lions at the moment, though even more area is needed and better protection is urgently required for the existing areas. Many organizations, such as the Lion Conservation Fund, are also attempting to reduce conflict between humans and lions (which the lions inevitably lose) through education, as well as the establishment of wildlife protection corridors.
The lions of the world are divided into several different subspecies, but the African lion is among the most large and magnificent of these carnivores, being taller at the shoulder than tigers (roughly 123 centimeters in large males, 91 centimeters in females) and they weigh up to 250 or 180 kilograms for males and females, respectively. They also have a length of 1.4 to 2 meters long, the males have a very large “regal-looking mane” that varies color depending on the environment the animal is in. All these factors of the African lion make it uniquely different from it’s other lion brethren, which I believe is also what has made them such a target by hunters. These lions, until divided by reservations, live in prides. Which are defined as being family or groupings that include roughly one to three males and around ten or twelve females, plus the cubs. These social units are needed for lion survival because of the cooperative hunting a pride brings, many of the prey species African lions rely on are large, robust animals, so they need several cats working together to bring one down. The speed of other animals requires cooperative ambush tactics to have any chance of regular success in capturing them. Which might explain why you rarely see lions without a group, or at least never see one alone for very long. Among these ambushes, lionesses do most of the work, although males do sometimes participate. Males primarily only perform the important task of defending the pride’s territory from trespassers. The males also protect the cubs of the pride while the lionesses are out hunting. The younger males of the pride are normally thrown out from the pride, after this, they either live alone or with one of their brothers for companionship. These ambitious young lions are known to take over existing prides or form new ones with nomadic females. At roughly 3 to 4 years old, males and females are ready to have offspring. The female gestation period is generally around four months. The female gives birth to her young away from the presence of others and hides her cubs for the first six weeks of their lives where they are also completely dependent on their mother. After this time, because all of the females in a group of lions mate at the same time. The cubs are taken care of by all of the females and will often nurse from females other than their mother.
The lions of Africa are massive, powerful hunters but oddly enough, have small hearts relative to their size, which happens to make it so they do not have the long-distance endurance that other hunters of their region possess. Which is why lions are seen stalking up to their prey to shorten the distance that they must rush the unsuspecting animal. The animals that have the poor luck of being a lions prey, are wildebeests, buffalo, zebra, impala, and warthogs. But among all of these, the wildebeest is the preferred food of these proud cats, making up roughly half of their diet. Lions have a unique way of taking down their prey that is almost entirely exclusive to them. Instead of going at legs and taking down prey, the way wolves or hyenas might. These great cats kill through biting their prey’s throat, which not only bleeds the animal out quickly, but rapidly suffocates the animal. Which makes the lion perhaps the most “humane or merciful” killers of the land. The animals of the terrain that are generally safe from these predators are the heavily armored and strong elephants, rhinos, and hippos. The speedy, fast-moving gazelles are safe from these predators for the most part as well.
When it comes to the artistic, cultural, and religious significance of these grand animals, they can be found it many religions and cultures as beings of great importance. The earliest recorded depictions of lions have been found in some of the earliest “paleolithic” human cave drawings, potentially dating back to 32,000 years ago in the Chauvet Cave in the Ardeche region of southern France, where lionesses are depicted hunting for the pride in much the same strategy as contemporary lions. Some have proposed a less extreme estimate that falls in line with the better known cave paintings of Lascaux, that are roughly 15,000 years old. In the Lascaux, two lions are depicted mating in the Chamber of Felines. The Lowenmensch figurine from Hohlenstien-Stadel and the ivory carving of a lion's head from Vogelherd Cave in the Swavian Jura in southwestern Germany have been determined to be about 40,000 years old, dating from the Augnacian culture. One religion that holds lions at high esteem would definitely Judaeo-Christianity. There are over several biblical accounts of lions and the cultural perception of them in ancient Palestine, the most notable reference being from the Book of Daniel where Daniel is thrown into a den of lions and miraculously survives. Other accounts in the bible have different feats being achieved, such as Samson who kills a lion with his bare hands, sees bees nesting in its corpse, and poses a riddle based on this sight to test the faithfulness of his then, fiancee. In other Christian tradition, Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second gospel is symbolized as being a lion, which at the time was a symbol of courage and monarchy, it also represents Jesus’ Resurrection as lions were believed to sleep with open eyes, which drew a comparison to Christ in the tomb and Christ as king. However, Christianity is not the only religion where these powerful animals have significance. In Hindu-Buddhism the lion can be found depicted in art scattered throughout India and Southeast Asia. As well as Islamic traditions, where lions are seen as the symbol of courage, bravery, nobility, and chivalry. Different monarchs and political leaders have also earned nicknames and titles after these beasts, such as Henry the Lion of Saxony or Richard the Lionheart. In modern media these animals are seen as a proud mascot in both film, literature, and business.
Clearly, the lion is an animal that is held in high esteem by many cultures and religions. So, what can we do to help them and prevent their extinction? There’s three things to do that could help lessen the loss of this animals. The first being to mitigate human and wildlife conflict. Retaliation being the primary reason for lion killings, If we can work with local communities to better help them realize the great cat’s value and to help them protect their families and livestock from predators in ways that don’t involve an endless cycle of death, we can better both the community and the lions surrounding them. In Ruaha National Park, where around 10 percent of the world’s remaining African lion population can be found, AWF’s (African Wildlife Foundation) Ruaha Carnivore Project is beginning a critical shift in the local opinion of carnivores. Since 2012, AWF has been working with Ruaha’s communities to build livestock enclosures to protect livestock from predation, and, in turn, protect lions and other carnivores from retaliatory killing. In addition, Ruaha Carnivore Project provides community benefits to villages that demonstrate success in living peacefully with carnivores. African Wildlife Foundation’s researchers are currently working to gain an understanding of carnivores’ populations, behaviors, movements, and interactions with people so they can further develop appropriate conservation actions. Since 2002, the Carnivore Research Project has undertaken research aimed at ensuring the continued survival of lions living around Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Through this research and information gathering, we can use this data to better help ourselves understand their needs and behavioural patterns so we can anticipate what we need to do to best suit them in the future. With the population decreasing and threats continuing to mount, it’s become more clear than ever that we have to closely track this species. In Tanzania’s Manyara Ranch, AWF tagged the local lions with high-tech collars equipped with radio transmitters in order to track the animals’ natural movements. This enables scientists and conservationists to monitor for potential disease outbreaks, home range, productivity, behaviour, habitat use, survival, predator-prey interactions, and ultimately population estimates.
As to why all of this is relevant to our culture and society, the death and extinction of any animal is a tragedy. However, Lions are the top predators in their environment, whether that be grasslands, desert, or open woodland. They play a crucial role in keeping a healthy and friendly balance of numbers among other animals, especially herbivores like the zebra and wildebeest. Which directly affects the condition and health of the nearby grasslands and forests. By protecting lions we are also protecting the environment in which they live, making sure the whole area can thrive not only benefits the wildlife, but also the people who rely on those same natural resources.