Lion Population Is Threatened By Humans, Oxford Study Says

First Posted: Dec 16, 2016 03:55 AM EST
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The population of lions in Zimbabwe is threatened by humans, according to new studies.

News 24 reported that the number of lions in Zimbabwe -- where "Cecil the Lion" lived -- has dramatically decreased due to trophy hunting and other human behaviors.

Hwange National Park's famous lion was shot dead by a trophy hunter who was misled by a local guide in 2015. This sparked outrage from wildlife conservationists considering that Cecil was a national tourist attraction and that the worldwide lion population is declining year after year.

According to the research conducted by Oxford University's Wildlife Research Unit, human activities -- including trophy hunting -- caused 88 percent of male and 67 percent of female mortalities. This is based on their observation of 206 lion deaths from 1999 to 2012 within the park.

Published on Monday in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the study also added that lionesses are also being killed by farmers when they wander off into agricultural areas to hunt. Moreover, poachers had taken advantage of these female hunters whenever they step out from park borders as well.

Another study published in the journal Biological Conservation also used the same Hwange data. It focused on the major effects of trophy hunting among male big cats in the lion population.

The researchers found out that among its negative effects, deaths of territorial males have caused male intruders to kill the cubs in their pride. This has caused a major decline in the lion population and calls for careful attention from wildlife authorities.

"These two important new pieces of research, based on long-term understanding of population dynamics, add very significantly to our understanding of the threats faced by lions and other large predators in a world that is increasingly dominated by the human enterprise," said co-author of both studies, Professor David Macdonald, who is also the founding Director of Oxford's WildCRU.

Oxford University's WildCRU suggests that authorities need to manage wildlife conservation better by modifying trophy hunting policies among others.

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