IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Loveridge, A.J.; Packer, C.; Dutton, A. | |
| Science and the recreational hunting of lions | |
| 2009 Book Chapter | |
The African lion_ Panthera leo_ is an iconic species and one by which the fortunes of conservation efforts on the African continent can be gauged. Lions require large areas of relatively pristine habitat and sizeable populations of medium sized ungulate prey. They have the potential to act as an umbrella species in that protection of a population of African lions also protects biodiversity in the area over which it ranges. The widely held consensus is that the species has declined in both number and geographic range in recent decades. Although no quantitative historical estimates of lion numbers are available, it is thought that continental populations have declined from 1 to 200,000 (Nowell & Jackson, 1996) to between 23,000 and 47,000 over the last few decades (Chardonnet, 2002; Bauer & van der Merwe, 2004). Because of poor historical data, the extent to which the decline has occurred will probably never be known. However, the estimated 82 per cent decline in geographic range from over 22 million km2 to just over three million km2 (Ray et al., 2005) resonates with the proposed decline in number and suggests that estimates of numerical decline are of the right order of magnitude. The African lion is currently listed as 'vulnerable' by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) (IUCN, 2000), and is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).The alarming decline in lion numbers prompted a proposal to upgrade lions from Appendix II to Appendix I at the 13th CITES conference of parties (CITES, 2004). While this proposal was withdrawn, it has focused the conservation community's concern over the decline in lion numbers and stimulated debate over the possible causes of decline. Among these is trophy hunting. In this chapter we examine the extent to which trophy hunting of lions affects the conservation status of the species. We discuss the impact of trophy hunting on lion populations and the conditions under which this can be sustainable and highlight situations where trophy hunting may be less advisable. |
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