There were 698 lions killed by humans between 1980 and 2018 in the areas around Etosha National Park in northern Namibia.
That is an average of 22 dead lions per year, but researchers say that is likely an underestimate.
The new study found there was no single reason behind the killings.
“It was environmental. It was cultural. It was climatic,” said Dipanjan Naha, lead author of the study and a researcher at both the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and Ongava Research Centre in Namibia.
The study showed that the highest number of lion fatalities occurred during the cold, dry season from May to August. This is also the time when lions cross the Etosha perimeter fence and move outside the park.
The study explained that when there is less available water, there is also less prey, leading lions to venture outside the park.
This brings them to the livestock and game farms surrounding the park, which, in turn, leads to conflict with people.
“When lions move from Etosha to the neighboring farms or communal lands, they encounter wild prey and livestock,” said Naha. “So, these lions think, ‘Maybe that is a good habitat for me to settle down in.’ But when they end up there, they get shot.”
He said that areas around the park are kind of an ecological trap for lions. “As soon as the lions get out of the park, they are in trouble with the farmers.”
According to the study, Places with more vegetation saw fewer fatalities, as lions were able to hide better from humans. Younger males, however, were more likely to be killed than females, as they are often pushed out of territories controlled by dominant prides.
It was pointed out in the study that the Etosha region saw frequent droughts in the 1990s and 2000s, forcing farmers to switch from livestock to game farms.
Game farmers were less tolerant of the carnivores’ presence due to the higher cost of game.
According to the study, 70% of lion fatalities take place within commercial farms
It said that typically, people who kill lions are simply trying to protect their livelihoods.
“There has to be more integrated conservation where humans and wildlife can share spaces, but the negative impacts of lions getting killed or people’s livestock and livelihoods being threatened are reduced,” Naha said.
He added that the presence of lions could benefit the communities through tourism ventures, employment opportunities and helping monitor lions in the wild.
By identifying which areas are most impacted by human-lion conflict, policymakers could tailor their interventions to specific areas and improve the well-being of both the big cats and the people who live near them.
That is an average of 22 dead lions per year, but researchers say that is likely an underestimate.
The new study found there was no single reason behind the killings.
“It was environmental. It was cultural. It was climatic,” said Dipanjan Naha, lead author of the study and a researcher at both the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and Ongava Research Centre in Namibia.
The study showed that the highest number of lion fatalities occurred during the cold, dry season from May to August. This is also the time when lions cross the Etosha perimeter fence and move outside the park.
The study explained that when there is less available water, there is also less prey, leading lions to venture outside the park.
This brings them to the livestock and game farms surrounding the park, which, in turn, leads to conflict with people.
“When lions move from Etosha to the neighboring farms or communal lands, they encounter wild prey and livestock,” said Naha. “So, these lions think, ‘Maybe that is a good habitat for me to settle down in.’ But when they end up there, they get shot.”
He said that areas around the park are kind of an ecological trap for lions. “As soon as the lions get out of the park, they are in trouble with the farmers.”
According to the study, Places with more vegetation saw fewer fatalities, as lions were able to hide better from humans. Younger males, however, were more likely to be killed than females, as they are often pushed out of territories controlled by dominant prides.
It was pointed out in the study that the Etosha region saw frequent droughts in the 1990s and 2000s, forcing farmers to switch from livestock to game farms.
Game farmers were less tolerant of the carnivores’ presence due to the higher cost of game.
According to the study, 70% of lion fatalities take place within commercial farms
It said that typically, people who kill lions are simply trying to protect their livelihoods.
“There has to be more integrated conservation where humans and wildlife can share spaces, but the negative impacts of lions getting killed or people’s livestock and livelihoods being threatened are reduced,” Naha said.
He added that the presence of lions could benefit the communities through tourism ventures, employment opportunities and helping monitor lions in the wild.
By identifying which areas are most impacted by human-lion conflict, policymakers could tailor their interventions to specific areas and improve the well-being of both the big cats and the people who live near them.
