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0177 A lion watches as media and guests gather at Lions Rock in Bethlehem in the Free State where 9 lion cubs, 1 adult lion and a tiger are to be released after having been rescused by animal welfare group Four Paws from zoos in Romania. 070608 - Picture: Jennifer Bruce
Africa's most potent symbol, the lion could be extinct within two decades, according to Sunday's Rapport newspaper.
According to the report it is estimated there are between 30,000 to 16,500 lions in the wild worldwide.
Endangered Wildlife Trust director Harriet Davies-Mostert was quoted as saying: “Lions are largely threatened because they are not tolerated outside protected area, and in particular stock farmers and shepherds have cut their (lions') numbers.”
She said habitat loss and trophy hunting were also having an effect. In Kenya wildlife authorities claimed they were losing 100
lions a year and the lion population had dropped to about 2000 in the wild.
Davies-Mostert warned the slaughter of Africa's lions could increase as demand for “medicine” products from the Far East rose.
According to the report the International Union for the Conservation of Nature had said lions were extremely vulnerable.
The Rapport said that lion numbers had fallen by 30 percent in the past 20 years and there was a 10 percent chance they could be extinct in the next 20 years. - Sapa
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Anonymous, wrote
As SCI says- the rarer the better. The South Africans have proved they will do anything for the US dollar. These people are FU%$^&ing vampires. The Chinese are no better- they could care less if all the wildlife that they exploit for the "cures" end up extinct
warsteiner, wrote
This would be tragic these majestic animals deserve their freedom. And what does everyone think will happen to the wild grazing animals?Their populations will grow to a ridiculous number and there will be no grass for the shepards to bring their flocks
anonymous, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
No tolerance for lion hunters and other such animals in Africa.....Live and let live..... God Bless IUCN keep up the good work!
Anonymous, wrote
This article is a bit crazy. A vertinarian friend just sterilized 17 lionesses in Limpopo last week because they are breeding too much in their protected areas. Hunting is GOOD because it establishes a financial basis for preserving wilderness areas and game for hunting. Without hunting many areas of Africa would be field and cattle farms. Hunting farms are mantained in pristine beauty and they have to preserve a sustainable harvest of animals. There is an entire ndustry for selling, buying and breeding excess wildlife for hunting or simply viewing pleasure. Game farms tend to be viewing farms only or hunting farms only. Many former farms take decades to recover their flora natural beauty and become great hunting farms again.Lions may be under threat in some parts of Africa where poor people sustanance farming is degrading habitat. Establishing paid hunting indistries in those areas would save the land, the people and the animals too. This report must be read with a punch of salt.
Mr Peace, wrote
We know who we should blame for this, opportunistic Africans (who only value money), superstitious Asians (who believe that these animals can be used as medicine), and nefarious Europeans and Americans who engage in canned hunting. The buck ultimately stops with the Africans.
Stormer, wrote
Profits of doom...At least one less CC team the Stormers have to be concerned about..lol
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