Lions are iconic symbols of Africa yet they are in serious endangerment of being completely erased from the environs . Panthera , a nonprofit preservation organization , enter Panthera leo population in 17 countries in West Africa over the form of six years . Their finding were shocking : There are only about 400 male lions in the state of nature in West Africa , and only 250 of them are of fostering age . Their paper was published inPLOS One .
There is n’t a noticeable forcible divergence between Leo the Lion populations throughout Africa but there aregenetic differencesthat determine them apart . lose these king of beasts means a decline in biodiversity . Nine years ago , West African lions could be retrieve in over twenty protected areas . Today , that figure has dropped to four . Habitat demolition and human poorness in the region is primarily to blame , as it has manifest in several way of life .
Because the land in West Africa are home to some of the most impoverished people in the world , the governments simply do not have much to expend on animal conservation . What should be a safe oasis for Lion are not funded or well regulated . Some of these areas can not even give to pay anyone to patrol the area . Lions , and several other large mammal species , have been eliminate from these preserve because there simplyisn’t anyone there to protect them .
The West Africans hold up in poverty are also bear on the lions , though much more directly . Poachers , do-or-die for money , are wiping out the lions ’ food supply for provide bushmeat for local markets . Other reports line lions being toss off directly in “ ego defence , ” though the Fannie Farmer and their livestock that came under onset by the half - starved lion should never have been on the game conserve in the first place .
man have also destroyed much of thelion ’s natural habitatin decree to make room for large agricultural endeavors . Vast surface area of kingdom are being dedicated to nutrient crops and to cotton , which will give the people an point to barter and export . It is a hard situation all the way of life around , as the land that is giving those people a chance to be self - sufficient and survive has mash lions in West Africa down to 1.1 % of their historic range .
Panthera hopes that the finding from their study will get the preservation status for lions in West Africa updated to “ critically endangered , ” which is one stair above extinction for fantastic populations .
