The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
David W Macdonald - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
international law and lions Panthera Leo understanding and improving the contribution of wildlife treaties to the conservation and sustainable use of an iconic carnivore
Nature and Conservation, 2017Co-Authors: Arie Trouwborst, Amy Dickman, Melissa Lewis, Dawn Burnham, Amy E Hinks, Timothy Hodgetts, Ewan A Macdonald, David W MacdonaldAbstract:The lion (Panthera Leo) is featuring ever more prominently on the agendas of international wildlife treaties like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Lion range and numbers have declined markedly over the last two decades. In this review we assess the present role of international wildlife treaties with a view to improving their combined contribution to the conservation and sustainable use of lions. Our analysis identifies a substantial body of relevant international wildlife law and, moreover, a significant potential for enhancing the contribution to lion conservation of these global and regional treaties. The time is right to invest in such improvements, and our review renders a range of general and treaty-specific recommendations for doing so, including making full use of the Ramsar Wetlands Convention, World Heritage Convention and transboundary conservation area (TFCA) treaties for lion conservation. The CMS holds particular potential in this regard and our analysis provides strong support for listing the lion in its Appendices.
-
a multi scale assessment of population connectivity in african lions Panthera Leo in response to landscape change
Landscape Ecology, 2016Co-Authors: Samuel A Cushman, David W Macdonald, Nicholas B Elliot, Andrew J LoveridgeAbstract:Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the major drivers of population declines and extinction, particularly in large carnivores. Connectivity models provide practical tools for assessing fragmentation effects and developing mitigation or conservation responses. To be useful to conservation practitioners, connectivity models need to incorporate multiple scales and include realistic scenarios based on potential changes to habitat and anthropogenic pressures. This will help to prioritize conservation efforts in a changing landscape. The goal of our paper was to evaluate differences in population connectivity for lions (Panthera Leo) across the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KAZA) under different landscape change scenarios and a range of dispersal distances. We used an empirically optimized resistance surface, based on analysis of movement pathways of dispersing lions in southern Africa to calculate resistant kernel connectivity. We assessed changes in connectivity across nine landscape change scenarios, under each of which we explored the behavior of lions with eight different dispersal abilities. Our results demonstrate that reductions in the extent of the protected area network and/or fencing protected areas will result in large declines in the extent of population connectivity, across all modeled dispersal abilities. Creation of corridors or erection of fences strategically placed to funnel dispersers between protected areas increased overall connectivity of the population. Our results strongly suggest that the most effective means of maintaining long-term population connectivity of lions in the KAZA region involves retaining the current protected area network, augmented with protected corridors or strategic fencing to direct dispersing individuals towards suitable habitat and away from potential conflict areas.
-
lion Panthera Leo populations are declining rapidly across africa except in intensively managed areas
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2015Co-Authors: Hans Bauer, Paul J Funston, Philipp Henschel, David W Macdonald, Craig Packer, Luke T B Hunter, Guillaume Chapron, Kristin NowellAbstract:We compiled all credible repeated lion surveys and present time series data for 47 lion (Panthera Leo) populations. We used a Bayesian state space model to estimate growth rate-λ for each population and summed these into three regional sets to provide conservation-relevant estimates of trends since 1990. We found a striking geographical pattern: African lion populations are declining everywhere, except in four southern countries (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe). Population models indicate a 67% chance that lions in West and Central Africa decline by one-half, while estimating a 37% chance that lions in East Africa also decline by one-half over two decades. We recommend separate regional assessments of the lion in the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species: already recognized as critically endangered in West Africa, our analysis supports listing as regionally endangered in Central and East Africa and least concern in southern Africa. Almost all lion populations that historically exceeded ∼500 individuals are declining, but lion conservation is successful in southern Africa, in part because of the proliferation of reintroduced lions in small, fenced, intensively managed, and funded reserves. If management budgets for wild lands cannot keep pace with mounting levels of threat, the species may rely increasingly on these southern African areas and may no longer be a flagship species of the once vast natural ecosystems across the rest of the continent.
-
divided infraorbital foramen in the lion Panthera Leo its implications for colonisation history population bottlenecks and conservation of the asian lion p l persica
Contributions to Zoology, 2009Co-Authors: Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Carlos A Driscoll, Andrew C Kitchener, David W MacdonaldAbstract:A divided infraorbital foramen is an important morphological feature in lion taxonomy and has previously been considered to occur only in the Asian lion, Panthera Leo persica. Based on an examination of 498 lion skulls from museum collections in Europe and southern Africa, we report for the first time on the prevalence of the divided infraorbital foramen in African lions, as well as its occurrence in the tiger, P. tigris and the extinct Pleistocene European cave lion, P. Leo spelaea. The higher frequency of this characteristic in Asian lions may have occurred after the lion colonised Asia, and can be considered an important morphological feature characterising this population. It is not clear whether recent anthropogenic population bottlenecks have influenced changes in its prevalence over the last 200 years.
-
influence of drought on predation of elephant loxodonta africana calves by lions Panthera Leo in an african wooded savannah
Journal of Zoology, 2006Co-Authors: Andrew J Loveridge, Jane E Hunt, Felix Murindagomo, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Data were collected on species killed by lions Panthera Leo in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe between 1998 and 2004. Lions killed predominantly large to medium-sized herbivores, concentrating on buffalo Syncerus caffer, elephant Loxodonta africana, giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and zebra Equus burchelli. These species made up 83% of all lion kills found and 94% of the biomass of kills actually observed. Elephant calves made up an unusually large proportion of lion prey during the study period (23% of kills recorded). All elephants killed were dependent juveniles. Elephant calves appear more vulnerable during the dry months of the year, particularly in years of below average rainfall. Elephant calves are usually well protected. However, high-density aggregations of elephants around limited water sources during the dry season may deplete local food resources, forcing elephant herds to travel large distances between water and forage. Under these circumstances, elephant calves may become lost or separated from family groups, accounting for their high incidence in lion diet.
Nobuyuki Yamaguchi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
no longer locally extinct tracing the origins of a lion Panthera Leo living in gabon
Conservation Genetics, 2018Co-Authors: Ross Barnett, Mikkelholder S Sinding, Filipe G Vieira, Marie Lisandra Zepeda Mendoza, Matthieu Bonnet, Alessandro Araldi, Ivonne Kienast, Alice Zambarda, Nobuyuki YamaguchiAbstract:Lions (Panthera Leo) are of particular conservation concern due to evidence of recent, widespread population declines in what has hitherto been seen as a common species, robust to anthropogenic disturbance. Here we use non-invasive methods to recover complete mitochondrial genomes from single hair samples collected in the field in order to explore the identity of the Gabonese Plateaux Bateke lion. Comparison of the mitogenomes against a comprehensive dataset of African lion sequences that includes relevant geographically proximate lion populations from both contemporary and ancient sources, enabled us to identify the Plateaux Bateke lion as a close maternal relative to now extirpated populations found in Gabon and nearby Congo during the twentieth century, and to extant populations of Southern Africa. Our study demonstrates the relevance of ancient DNA methods to field conservation work, and the ability of trace field samples to provide copious genetic information about free-ranging animals.
-
Comparative Skull Analysis Suggests Species-Specific Captivity-Related Malformation in Lions (Panthera Leo)
2016Co-Authors: Joseph Saragusty, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Anat Shavit-meyrav, Rona Nadler, Tali Bdolah-abram, Laura Gibeon, Thomas B. Hildebr, Merav H. ShamirAbstract:Lion (Panthera Leo) populations have dramatically decreased worldwide with a surviving population estimated at 32,000 across the African savannah. Lions have been kept in captivity for centuries and, although they reproduce well, high rates of stillbirths as well as morbidity and mortality of neonate and young lions are reported. Many of these cases are associated with bone malformations, including foramen magnum (FM) stenosis and thickened tentorium cerebelli. The precise causes of these malformations and whether they are unique to captive lions remain unclear. To test whether captivity is associated with FM stenosis, we evaluated 575 lion skulls of wild (N = 512) and captive (N = 63) origin. Tiger skulls (N = 276; 56 captive, 220 wild) were measured for comparison. While no differences were found between males and females or between subadults and adults in FM height (FMH), FMH of captive lions (17.3663.20 mm) was significantly smaller and with greater variability when compared to that in wild lions (19.7762.11 mm). There was no difference between wild (18.4761.26 mm) and captive (18.5661.64 mm) tigers in FMH. Birth origin (wild vs. captive) as a factor for FMH remained significant in lions even after controlling for age and sex. Whereas only 20/473 wild lions (4.2%) had FMH equal to or smaller than the 5th percentile of the wild population (16.60 mm), this was evident in 40.4 % (23/57) of captive lion skulls. Similar comparison for tigers found no differences between the captive and wild populations. Lions with FMH equal to or smaller than the 5th percentile had wider skulls with smaller cranial volume. Cranial volume remained smaller in both male and female captiv
-
phylogeographic patterns in africa and high resolution delineation of genetic clades in the lion Panthera Leo
Scientific Reports, 2016Co-Authors: Laura D Bertola, Hans Bauer, H Jongbloed, K J Van Der Gaag, P De Knijff, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, H Hooghiemstra, Philipp Henschel, Paula A White, Carlos A DriscollAbstract:Comparative phylogeography of African savannah mammals shows a congruent pattern in which populations in West/Central Africa are distinct from populations in East/Southern Africa. However, for the lion, all African populations are currently classified as a single subspecies (Panthera Leo Leo), while the only remaining population in Asia is considered to be distinct (Panthera Leo persica). This distinction is disputed both by morphological and genetic data. In this study we introduce the lion as a model for African phylogeography. Analyses of mtDNA sequences reveal six supported clades and a strongly supported ancestral dichotomy with northern populations (West Africa, Central Africa, North Africa/Asia) on one branch, and southern populations (North East Africa, East/Southern Africa and South West Africa) on the other. We review taxonomies and phylogenies of other large savannah mammals, illustrating that similar clades are found in other species. The described phylogeographic pattern is considered in relation to large scale environmental changes in Africa over the past 300,000 years, attributable to climate. Refugial areas, predicted by climate envelope models, further confirm the observed pattern. We support the revision of current lion taxonomy, as recognition of a northern and a southern subspecies is more parsimonious with the evolutionary history of the lion.
-
revealing the maternal demographic history of Panthera Leo using ancient dna and a spatially explicit genealogical analysis
BMC Evolutionary Biology, 2014Co-Authors: Ross Barnett, Beth Shapiro, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Ian Barnes, Lars Werdelin, Richard Sabin, Jacques Cuisin, Greger LarsonAbstract:Background: Understanding the demographic history of a population is critical to conservation and to our broader understanding of evolutionary processes. For many tropical large mammals, however, this aim is confounded by the absence of fossil material and by the misleading signal obtained from genetic data of recently fragmented and isolated populations. This is particularly true for the lion which as a consequence of millennia of human persecution, has large gaps in its natural distribution and several recently extinct populations. Results: We sequenced mitochondrial DNA from museum-preserved individuals, including the extinct Barbary lion (Panthera Leo Leo) and Iranian lion (P. l. persica), as well as lions from West and Central Africa. We added these to a broader sample of lion sequences, resulting in a data set spanning the historical range of lions. Our Bayesian phylogeographical analyses provide evidence for highly supported, reciprocally monophyletic lion clades. Using a molecular clock, we estimated that recent lion lineages began to diverge in the Late Pleistocene. Expanding equatorial rainforest probably separated lions in South and East Africa from other populations. West African lions then expanded into Central Africa during periods of rainforest contraction. Lastly, we found evidence of two separate incursions into Asia from North Africa, first into India and later into the Middle East.
-
revealing the maternal demographic history of Panthera Leo using ancient dna and a spatially explicit genealogical analysis
BMC Evolutionary Biology, 2014Co-Authors: Ross Barnett, Beth Shapiro, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Ian Barnes, Lars Werdelin, Richard Sabin, Jacques Cuisin, Greger LarsonAbstract:Understanding the demographic history of a population is critical to conservation and to our broader understanding of evolutionary processes. For many tropical large mammals, however, this aim is confounded by the absence of fossil material and by the misleading signal obtained from genetic data of recently fragmented and isolated populations. This is particularly true for the lion which as a consequence of millennia of human persecution, has large gaps in its natural distribution and several recently extinct populations. We sequenced mitochondrial DNA from museum-preserved individuals, including the extinct Barbary lion (Panthera Leo Leo) and Iranian lion (P. l. persica), as well as lions from West and Central Africa. We added these to a broader sample of lion sequences, resulting in a data set spanning the historical range of lions. Our Bayesian phylogeographical analyses provide evidence for highly supported, reciprocally monophyletic lion clades. Using a molecular clock, we estimated that recent lion lineages began to diverge in the Late Pleistocene. Expanding equatorial rainforest probably separated lions in South and East Africa from other populations. West African lions then expanded into Central Africa during periods of rainforest contraction. Lastly, we found evidence of two separate incursions into Asia from North Africa, first into India and later into the Middle East. We have identified deep, well-supported splits within the mitochondrial phylogeny of African lions, arguing for recognition of some regional populations as worthy of independent conservation. More morphological and nuclear DNA data are now needed to test these subdivisions.
Timothy D Noakes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
lion Panthera Leo and caracal caracal caracal type iix single muscle fibre force and power exceed that of trained humans
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2012Co-Authors: Tertius Abraham Kohn, Timothy D NoakesAbstract:This study investigated for the first time maximum force production, shortening velocity (Vmax) and power output in permeabilised single muscle fibres at 12°C from lion, Panthera Leo (Linnaeus 1758), and caracal, Caracal caracal (Schreber 1776), and compared the values with those from human cyclists. Additionally, the use and validation of previously frozen tissue for contractile experiments is reported. Only type IIx muscle fibres were identified in the caracal sample, whereas type IIx and only two type I fibres were found in the lion sample. Only pure type I and IIa, and hybrid type IIax fibres were identified in the human samples - there were no pure type IIx fibres. Nevertheless, compared with all the human fibre types, the lion and caracal fibres were smaller (P<0.01) in cross-sectional area (human: 6194±230 μm(2), lion: 3008±151 μm(2), caracal: 2583±221 μm(2)). On average, the felid type IIx fibres produced significantly greater force (191-211 kN m(-2)) and ~3 times more power (29.0-30.3 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)) than the human IIax fibres (100-150 kN m(-2), 4-11 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)). Vmax values of the lion type IIx fibres were also higher than those of human type IIax fibres. The findings suggest that the same fibre type may differ substantially between species and potential explanations are discussed.
-
erratum to fiber type and metabolic characteristics of lion Panthera Leo caracal caracal caracal and human skeletal muscle comp biochem physiol a 159 2011 125 133
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-molecular & Integrative Physiology, 2011Co-Authors: Tertius Abraham Kohn, R E J Burroughs, Marthinus Jacobus Hartman, Timothy D NoakesAbstract:Erratum Erratum to “Fiber type and metabolic characteristics of lion (Panthera Leo), caracal (Caracal caracal) and human skeletal muscle” [Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 159 (2011) 125–133] Tertius Abraham Kohn⁎, Richard Burroughs, Marthinus Jacobus Hartman, Timothy David Noakes a UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, PO Box 115, Newlands, 7725, South Africa b Centre of Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa c Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa
-
fiber type and metabolic characteristics of lion Panthera Leo caracal caracal caracal and human skeletal muscle
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-molecular & Integrative Physiology, 2011Co-Authors: Tertius Abraham Kohn, R E J Burroughs, Marthinus Jacobus Hartman, Timothy D NoakesAbstract:Lion (Panthera Leo) and caracal (Caracal caracal) skeletal muscle samples from Vastus lateralis, Longissimus dorsi and Gluteus medius were analyzed for fiber type and citrate synthase (CS; EC 2.3.3.1), 3-hydroxyacyl Co A dehydrogenase (3HAD; EC 1.1.1.35), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK; EC 2.7.1.11), creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2), phosphorylase (PHOS; EC 2.4.1.1) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; EC 1.1.1.27) activities and compared to human runners, the latter also serving as validation of methodology. Both felids had predominantly type IIx fibers (range 50-80%), whereas human muscle had more types I and IIa. Oxidative capacity of both felids (CS: 5-9 μmol/min/g ww and 3HAD: 1.4-2.6 μmol/min/g ww) was lower than humans, whereas the glycolytic capacity was elevated. LDH activity of caracal (346 ± 81) was higher than lion (227 ± 62 μmol/min/g ww), with human being the lowest (55 ± 17). CK and PHOS activities were also higher in caracal and lion compared to human, but PFK was lower in both felid species. The current data and past research are illustrated graphically showing a strong relationship between type II fibers and sprinting ability in various species. These data on caracal and lion muscles confirm their sprinting behavior.
Tertius Abraham Kohn - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
lion Panthera Leo and caracal caracal caracal type iix single muscle fibre force and power exceed that of trained humans
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2012Co-Authors: Tertius Abraham Kohn, Timothy D NoakesAbstract:This study investigated for the first time maximum force production, shortening velocity (Vmax) and power output in permeabilised single muscle fibres at 12°C from lion, Panthera Leo (Linnaeus 1758), and caracal, Caracal caracal (Schreber 1776), and compared the values with those from human cyclists. Additionally, the use and validation of previously frozen tissue for contractile experiments is reported. Only type IIx muscle fibres were identified in the caracal sample, whereas type IIx and only two type I fibres were found in the lion sample. Only pure type I and IIa, and hybrid type IIax fibres were identified in the human samples - there were no pure type IIx fibres. Nevertheless, compared with all the human fibre types, the lion and caracal fibres were smaller (P<0.01) in cross-sectional area (human: 6194±230 μm(2), lion: 3008±151 μm(2), caracal: 2583±221 μm(2)). On average, the felid type IIx fibres produced significantly greater force (191-211 kN m(-2)) and ~3 times more power (29.0-30.3 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)) than the human IIax fibres (100-150 kN m(-2), 4-11 kN m(-2) fibre lengths s(-1)). Vmax values of the lion type IIx fibres were also higher than those of human type IIax fibres. The findings suggest that the same fibre type may differ substantially between species and potential explanations are discussed.
-
erratum to fiber type and metabolic characteristics of lion Panthera Leo caracal caracal caracal and human skeletal muscle comp biochem physiol a 159 2011 125 133
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-molecular & Integrative Physiology, 2011Co-Authors: Tertius Abraham Kohn, R E J Burroughs, Marthinus Jacobus Hartman, Timothy D NoakesAbstract:Erratum Erratum to “Fiber type and metabolic characteristics of lion (Panthera Leo), caracal (Caracal caracal) and human skeletal muscle” [Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A 159 (2011) 125–133] Tertius Abraham Kohn⁎, Richard Burroughs, Marthinus Jacobus Hartman, Timothy David Noakes a UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Human Biology, PO Box 115, Newlands, 7725, South Africa b Centre of Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa c Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa
-
fiber type and metabolic characteristics of lion Panthera Leo caracal caracal caracal and human skeletal muscle
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-molecular & Integrative Physiology, 2011Co-Authors: Tertius Abraham Kohn, R E J Burroughs, Marthinus Jacobus Hartman, Timothy D NoakesAbstract:Lion (Panthera Leo) and caracal (Caracal caracal) skeletal muscle samples from Vastus lateralis, Longissimus dorsi and Gluteus medius were analyzed for fiber type and citrate synthase (CS; EC 2.3.3.1), 3-hydroxyacyl Co A dehydrogenase (3HAD; EC 1.1.1.35), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK; EC 2.7.1.11), creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2), phosphorylase (PHOS; EC 2.4.1.1) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; EC 1.1.1.27) activities and compared to human runners, the latter also serving as validation of methodology. Both felids had predominantly type IIx fibers (range 50-80%), whereas human muscle had more types I and IIa. Oxidative capacity of both felids (CS: 5-9 μmol/min/g ww and 3HAD: 1.4-2.6 μmol/min/g ww) was lower than humans, whereas the glycolytic capacity was elevated. LDH activity of caracal (346 ± 81) was higher than lion (227 ± 62 μmol/min/g ww), with human being the lowest (55 ± 17). CK and PHOS activities were also higher in caracal and lion compared to human, but PFK was lower in both felid species. The current data and past research are illustrated graphically showing a strong relationship between type II fibers and sprinting ability in various species. These data on caracal and lion muscles confirm their sprinting behavior.
Andrew J Loveridge - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
a multi scale assessment of population connectivity in african lions Panthera Leo in response to landscape change
Landscape Ecology, 2016Co-Authors: Samuel A Cushman, David W Macdonald, Nicholas B Elliot, Andrew J LoveridgeAbstract:Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the major drivers of population declines and extinction, particularly in large carnivores. Connectivity models provide practical tools for assessing fragmentation effects and developing mitigation or conservation responses. To be useful to conservation practitioners, connectivity models need to incorporate multiple scales and include realistic scenarios based on potential changes to habitat and anthropogenic pressures. This will help to prioritize conservation efforts in a changing landscape. The goal of our paper was to evaluate differences in population connectivity for lions (Panthera Leo) across the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area (KAZA) under different landscape change scenarios and a range of dispersal distances. We used an empirically optimized resistance surface, based on analysis of movement pathways of dispersing lions in southern Africa to calculate resistant kernel connectivity. We assessed changes in connectivity across nine landscape change scenarios, under each of which we explored the behavior of lions with eight different dispersal abilities. Our results demonstrate that reductions in the extent of the protected area network and/or fencing protected areas will result in large declines in the extent of population connectivity, across all modeled dispersal abilities. Creation of corridors or erection of fences strategically placed to funnel dispersers between protected areas increased overall connectivity of the population. Our results strongly suggest that the most effective means of maintaining long-term population connectivity of lions in the KAZA region involves retaining the current protected area network, augmented with protected corridors or strategic fencing to direct dispersing individuals towards suitable habitat and away from potential conflict areas.
-
walking with lions why there is no role for captive origin lions Panthera Leo in species restoration
Oryx, 2013Co-Authors: Luke T B Hunter, Philipp Henschel, Paula A White, Andrew J Loveridge, Laurence G Frank, Cole Burton, Guy A Balme, Christine Breitenmoser, Urs BreitenmoserAbstract:Despite formidable challenges and few successes in reintroducing large cats from captivity to the wild, the release of captives has widespread support from the general public and local governments, and continues to occur ad hoc. Commercial so-called lion Panthera Leo encounter operations in Africa exemplify the issue, in which the captive breeding of the lion is linked to claims of reintroduction and broader conservation outcomes. In this article we assess the capacity of such programmes to contribute to in situ lion conservation. By highlighting the availability of wild founders, the unsuitability of captive lions for release and the evidence-based success of wild–wild lion translocations, we show that captive-origin lions have no role in species restoration. We also argue that approaches to reintroduction exemplified by the lion encounter industry do not address the reasons for the decline of lions in situ, nor do they represent a model that can be widely applied to restoration of threatened felids elsewhere.
-
influence of drought on predation of elephant loxodonta africana calves by lions Panthera Leo in an african wooded savannah
Journal of Zoology, 2006Co-Authors: Andrew J Loveridge, Jane E Hunt, Felix Murindagomo, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Data were collected on species killed by lions Panthera Leo in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe between 1998 and 2004. Lions killed predominantly large to medium-sized herbivores, concentrating on buffalo Syncerus caffer, elephant Loxodonta africana, giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and zebra Equus burchelli. These species made up 83% of all lion kills found and 94% of the biomass of kills actually observed. Elephant calves made up an unusually large proportion of lion prey during the study period (23% of kills recorded). All elephants killed were dependent juveniles. Elephant calves appear more vulnerable during the dry months of the year, particularly in years of below average rainfall. Elephant calves are usually well protected. However, high-density aggregations of elephants around limited water sources during the dry season may deplete local food resources, forcing elephant herds to travel large distances between water and forage. Under these circumstances, elephant calves may become lost or separated from family groups, accounting for their high incidence in lion diet.
-
influence of drought on predation of elephant loxodonta africana calves by lions Panthera Leo in an african wooded savannah
Journal of Zoology, 2006Co-Authors: Andrew J Loveridge, Jane E Hunt, Felix Murindagomo, David W MacdonaldAbstract:Data were collected on species killed by lions Panthera Leo in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe between 1998 and 2004. Lions killed predominantly large to medium-sized herbivores, concentrating on buffalo Syncerus caffer, elephant Loxodonta africana, giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus and zebra Equus burchelli. These species made up 83% of all lion kills found and 94% of the biomass of kills actually observed. Elephant calves made up an unusually large proportion of lion prey during the study period (23% of kills recorded). All elephants killed were dependent juveniles. Elephant calves appear more vulnerable during the dry months of the year, particularly in years of below average rainfall. Elephant calves are usually well protected. However, high-density aggregations of elephants around limited water sources during the dry season may deplete local food resources, forcing elephant herds to travel large distances between water and forage. Under these circumstances, elephant calves may become lost or separated from family groups, accounting for their high incidence in lion diet.
