Waiting for more details but 3 of the last 4 known male Skeleton Coast desert lions have been killed by the local cattle farmers in the Puros area.

Without funds generated from hunting and conservation, cattle farmers have no other source of income and only see lions as pests. Of course their cattle are dropping dead by the baker's dozen due to the drought, but somehow they want to blame the lion for their plight.

Sad to see so little focus put on the real challenges with animal conservation in Africa. Without hunting and funds, there is no conservation.

http://www.desertlion.info/news.html

Poisoned, carcasses and collars burned.

Thanks for the link Kathi.

Hope Flip Stander is proud of himself.

http://www.news24.com/Africa/N...rvationists-20160614


Link has the story of one of the lions getting shot by a farmer in June and a video of the five desert lions.

Same with Cecil. At least 4 other male lion poisoned last year in Zim but it never even made the back page because there was nothing for the "Donate Now!" Brigade to focus on.

But we have to be careful here about terminology. This would have been villagers and not "farmers" or "ranchers".

That gives the antis even more ammo, but they're afraid to target rural African villagers because of the shit storm it would cause.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Waiting for more details but 3 of the last 4 known male Skeleton Coast desert lions have been killed by the local cattle farmers in the Puros area.

Without funds generated from hunting and conservation, cattle farmers have no other source of income and only see lions as pests. Of course their cattle are dropping dead by the baker's dozen due to the drought, but somehow they want to blame the lion for their plight.

Sad to see so little focus put on the real challenges with animal conservation in Africa. Without hunting and funds, there is no conservation.

These are rural communities of anywhere from 3 to a dozen mud/dung huts with anywhere from 20 to 100 head of cattle. However, over 70% of the cattle in the area are dead from the drought. This may be a Himba community but not sure yet about that.

The cattle are literally falling over dead at the moment and of course the lion come in to feed. The farmer sees a dead cow and automatically blames the lion and not the fact that he was trying to herd cattle in the desert without water and/or grass. So the carcass gets poisoned and then everything that comes in to feed dies from birds to scavengers to predators.

The lions should not have been moved into the area without a comprehensive study of the area and without a lot of ongoing monitoring and coordination. This was a screw up by any measure...

Ongwe,
Flip is a doos.

https://www.newera.com.na/2016...soning-desert-lions/


Police open case over poisoning of desert lions

August 15, 2016

by Albertina Nakale

Police open case over poisoning of desert lions
Windhoek

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has opened a case of illegal killing of protected game, following the discovery of three dead desert lions that died of poisoning in Kunene Region last week.

The discovery was made during the process of locating and trans-locating five desert male lions, also known as ‘The Five Musketeers’, who featured in the National Geographic documentary film, ‘Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib’.

Environment and Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta on Friday said a case has been opened with the police over the illegal killing of protected game.

No one has yet been arrested and investigations are underway. When found the culprit would also be charged with poisoning wild animals. “The ministry condemns this illegal activity of poisoning the lions and those involved will face the full wrath of the law,” Shifeta warned.

National Geographic channel aired the ‘Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib’ film again over the past weekend, ostensibly as a tribute to the dead lions and the fans, who had loved the film.

According to Tourism Supporting Conservation, Namibia’s desert-adapted lions in the Kunene Region form part of the only free roaming – outside of national parks – lion population in the world that is still growing.

The minister expressed disappointment that the lions were poisoned and killed without permission, which is illegal in terms of the country’s Nature Conservation Ordinances.

Since February, the pride of five male lions moved into the Okongwe area and was attracted to livestock at Tomakas village near the Gomatum River.

He explained that ministry officials have been in the area with Purros Conservancy Lion Rangers and Integrated Rural Development for Nature Conservation (IRDNC) staff to prevent lions from killing livestock and to trans-locate the lions to Skeleton Coast Park.
Dr Philip Stander, a lion researcher in the area, assisted them.

According to Shifeta, it must further be noted that the use of poison on animals has further negative effects on the country’s bio-diversity, as many animals in the food chain, such as scavengers and vultures, may feed on such carcasses and die as well.

“This kind of behaviour will therefore not be tolerated. The ministry has been working with communities in the area to prevent livestock killings by these lions,” he noted.

Bright lights, ultra-sound playbacks and fireworks, he said, have been successfully used to deter lions from approaching the settlement, but the number of free roaming livestock is high and continues to attract lions.

When animals kill humans or interfere with human survival, they always lose to one degree or another...It is shameful on our part..Anti hunters approach such from a non realistic point of view and the gate to hell is paved with good intentions is the result.