The following appeared in the electronic issue of Scientific American:

The king of the jungle is in trouble. Populations of African lions (Panthera leo leo) have declined by 42 percent over the past 21 years, according to data released this week by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The information comes through the latest update to the IUCN Red List, which continues to identify lions as “vulnerable to extinction” (one step short of endangered). That’s mainly because conservation efforts have resulted in an 11 percent growth in lion populations in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Most of these southern populations live within fenced reserves which have reached their carrying capacity and can’t support additional lion numbers.

Outside of those four nations, things aren’t as good. Lion populations have fallen in most other countries, with an average decline of 60 percent. The worst hit has been the West African population of lions, which has now been classified as critically endangered. A study published last year found that only about 400 lions remained in the 17 nations of West Africa.

Lion threats vary across their range, but the IUCN identifies a few major causes for the decline. For one thing, many of the animals that lions eat are also disappearing due to habitat loss and the growth of agriculture to feed Africa’s growing human population. That’s put the lions into far greater levels of conflict with humans. The IUCN found that lion predation of livestock can cost a Kenyan rancher $290 a year, a huge hit in a country where the gross national income per capita is just over $1,100. Farmers frequently—and according to the IUCN “indiscriminately”—kill lions that have attacked or their flocks or out of fear that they may attack livestock in the future.

In addition, a growing international trade in lion parts has fueled lion poaching and commercial hunting. According to the Born Free Foundation, the number of lion parts and whole lions exported from Africa between 2009 and 2013 was double the amount shipped during the previous five years. This is currently legal under the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which allows lion trade under certain permits. Lion bones are used in traditional Asian medicine and have been in increasing demand to replace bones from tigers, which are in even worse shape than lions.

The IUCN points out that many lion populations are well-protected and live within some of Africa’s most important tourism sites. These populations probably aren’t going away any time soon. Many others, however, lack any protections and will undoubtedly continue to decline, if not disappear, over the coming years.

Born Free has called on CITES to enact greater restrictions on the lion trade and for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to implement its overdue promised protections for African lions, which were announced last October. Those two steps could help reduce the trade, but additional on-the-ground conservation efforts are also required. The IUCN says that many regional conservation strategies have been established and are working, but advises that more political will and funding are required to save lions throughout Africa.

I wonder how much the human population has grown in the same time period? Just sayin.......

quote:

I wonder how much the human population has grown in the same time period? Just sayin.......

Very good point.
More land for people, less land for wildlife.

I'm suspicious of these datas.
They do lot of studies in Kenya's parks, then drive around asking questions and then throw numbers " Sky is falling " on us, because they first and foremost goal is to get rid of us, hunters

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I wonder how much the human population has grown in the same time period? Just sayin.......

Exactly. Habitat loss due to human encroachment and extermination is "the" cause.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I wonder how much the human population has grown in the same time period? Just sayin.......

Exactly. Habitat loss due to human encroachment and extermination is "the" cause.

Had they allocated more income generating Hunting subsidised Reserves this would have greatly helped this reduction of numbers....
BUT because the greenies cannot get their heads around the fact that "Off Take" for enjoyment actualy works as a management tool this will not happen. They would prefer extinction over well managed Off-take, no different to a well run farm.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I wonder how much the human population has grown in the same time period? Just sayin.......

"Grown" is an understatement Larry; "exploded" would be more appropriate.

Even and especially in Africa, the rate of infantile deaths has been greatly reduced,
longevity in adults has increased and birth control is still in blueprint form.

The repercussion speaks for itself.

quote:

In addition, a growing international trade in lion parts has fueled lion poaching and commercial hunting. According to the Born Free Foundation, the number of lion parts and whole lions exported from Africa between 2009 and 2013 was double the amount shipped during the previous five years. This is currently legal under the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which allows lion trade under certain permits. Lion bones are used in traditional Asian medicine and have been in increasing demand to replace bones from tigers, which are in even worse shape than lions.

What I would like to know is, given these stats they are claiming, what percentage of the legally exported lion parts and whole lions are from the South African lion farming industry and the spin off from the high fenced lion hunts?

Lets look at apples to apples and not apples to oranges. There is a big difference between lion parts from pen raised lions and lion parts from real wild lions in unfenced, free roaming habitat.

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:

quote:

I wonder how much the human population has grown in the same time period? Just sayin.......

Very good point.
More land for people, less land for wildlife.

The human population has more than doubled during that time.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I wonder how much the human population has grown in the same time period? Just sayin.......

Exactly. Habitat loss due to human encroachment and extermination is "the" cause.

Had they allocated more income generating Hunting subsidised Reserves this would have greatly helped this reduction of numbers....
BUT because the greenies cannot get their heads around the fact that "Off Take" for enjoyment actualy works as a management tool this will not happen. They would prefer extinction over well managed Off-take, no different to a well run farm.

Very true...that!