The following story appeared in the Fall/Winter 2015 issue of Born Free USA’s magazine, Animal Issues Digest.
The African lion is arguably one of the most iconic symbols of the vast and varied African continent. The only big cat who lives in social groups, lions are at the very top of the food chain, playing a vital role in the ecosystems they inhabit. Lions have been central to the Born Free story since the very beginning. The film Born Free, which starred actors Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna (who later founded Born Free), told the story of George and Joy Adamson and their relationship with Africa’s wild animals: in particular, a lioness called Elsa. Africa without its lions is unimaginable. Yet, throughout much of the continent, this appalling scenario is quickly becoming a reality.[teaserbreak]
Lion populations have fallen across the continent by an estimated 42% over the past 21 years, or three lion generations. Declines have been most marked in West Africa, where the species is considered critically endangered. Lions now inhabit as little as 8% of their historic range, and have disappeared completely from at least 12 African countries in recent years. Now, there may be as few as 20,000 wild lions remaining in Africa, across an increasingly fragmented landscape. Yet, an intensive captive breeding industry is growing rapidly in South Africa, fueling international trophy hunting and the lion bone
trade.
These sobering findings beg the question: how can this be happening?
Habitat Loss and Human/Wildlife Conflict
Lions are rapidly losing their habitat and prey base, and coming into conflict with people, as the exponentially growing human population increases its demand for land. Persecution is rife where lions are perceived to be a risk to livestock. While predation by lions usually accounts for only a tiny proportion of livestock losses, it is often thought to be a significant cause of financial loss by poor rural farmers. In addition to being shot and caught in snares, many lions are poisoned by farmers, as well. Being shot, snared, or poisoned are all horrifically cruel ways to die—not to mention, highly unnecessary.
Exact figures on how many lions are affected are hard to come by, although killing by farmers is considered a big threat to the survival of lions outside of protected areas.
International Trade
Demand for lion meat, bones, and other body parts is increasing rapidly. In the 10-year period up to 2012, nearly 30,000 lion items were declared to have been exported. Exports of skeletons and bones from wild lions increased tenfold over the period, as lion bones are increasingly sought to replace tiger bones in Asian products, such as tiger bone wine. These increases only reflect the declared legal exports —but the rise in demand also results in increased poaching and illegal trade.
Trophy Hunting
The practice of trophy hunting, particularly of lions, was brought to international public attention by the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe in July 2015 by a Minnesota dentist. While hunters and hunting outfitters claim that trophy hunting helps “manage” wildlife populations and generate income for conservation, the reality is that targeting older male lions can seriously compromise the stability of lion prides and groups. Most of the proceeds from trophy hunting go to a few wealthy individuals; very little ever reaches local conservation projects or communities.
Lion Breeding and Canned Hunting
In South Africa, the commercial exploitation of lions has been taken to a whole new level through the development of intensive breeding centers. At least 6,000 lions currently exist in more than 200 captive breeding facilities; captive lions now outnumber wild lions in South Africa by almost two to one. The captive breeding of lions is a cruel and cynical business, and serves no conservation purpose. Lions breed relatively easily in captivity, and commercial breeders will typically remove cubs from their mothers very early and hand-rear them, often using unwitting volunteers, in order to enable the mother to be bred again quickly. As they get older, the lions may be exploited for other tourism “experiences,” such as “walking with lions.”
When they reach adulthood, the captive-bred lions may be sold on to canned hunting outfits, to be released into a fenced area and shot by a hunter (typically from Europe or North America). Once a lion has been killed, the trophy—i.e., the animal’s head—is shipped home by the hunter, and other parts of the carcass, particularly the skeleton, are often sold into international trade.
Proponents of this dreadful industry claim that canned hunting takes pressure off of wild lions. But, the industry stimulates demand—both for animals as trophies and for parts for the lion bone trade—which, in turn, can only put more pressure on lions in the wild.
International Exploitation
Lions have long been sought after by the international zoo and circus industries. Sadly, these animals usually lead miserable lives, often being trained to perform demeaning tricks for the paying public. Cubs are typically bred for public viewing, only to be put to death when they become surplus to requirements.
Solutions
In spite of the considerable challenges, Born Free, with the help and encouragement of our supporters, is making great strides for lions.
Our on-the-ground projects in Africa help provide security for lions in national parks and other protected areas through funding and capacity-building for parks and enforcement authorities across the continent.
We also help develop and implement collaborative lion conservation programs between African countries under the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS).
In and around Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, Born Free’s predator-proof boma project has made a real difference to livestock farmers by providing them with practical and humane ways of protecting their livestock from lions and other predators. One lion-proof boma can accommodate as many as 800 cows and 400 sheep or goats, and the project has been so successful that it is now being expanded to new areas in Kenya and beyond.
To address the problem of international trade, Born Free works closely with governments and international bodies, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). We are pushing the international community to uplist the lion to Appendix I of CITES, which would effectively ban all commercial international trade in lions and the parts or products derived from them.
Of course, as well as safeguarding the future of wild populations, Born Free firmly believes in the importance of individual animals. To this end, we are working with African nations and countries from which trophy hunters emanate to bring an end to trophy hunting, including canned hunting.
We have been pivotal in efforts to get lions listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which would, among other things, make it much harder for U.S. citizens to bring lion trophies back to the U.S. after hunts. We are also promoting the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large (CECIL) Animal Trophies Act, which would specifically ban the import of lion trophies into the U.S. Additionally, we are working with airlines and shipping companies to ban the transport of trophies.
Born Free has also rescued a number of lions from appalling captive conditions in zoos and circuses, and transferred them to sanctuaries, where they can live out their lives in comfort. Our latest rescue sees Jora and Black, Bulgaria’s last two circus lions, begin new lives at Born Free’s Shamwari Big Cat Rescue and Education Centre in South Africa. Our rescued lions act as ambassadors for our campaign to end the incarceration of these and other wild animals in zoos and circuses across the world.
Ultimately, we must secure safe, well-connected, and functional wild habitats for lions and for all of the other animals who depend on them—and we must phase out the captive breeding and exploitation of lions for commercial purposes—so they can survive and thrive in the wild, long into the future.
You Can Help!
You Can Help: Learn all you can about lions and their plight. Start at www.bornfreeusa.org/lions. Then, educate others! Share what you’ve learned with family and friends. The more people we can get on the side of the lions, the better chance we have to save them!