African Lion
The African Lion is a beautiful, powerful mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Following the tiger, it is the second largest feline. The king of the jungle stands out by its large, brown mane and muscular chest. African Lions can be over 8 feet long and 550 pounds.
This species is only found in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, however it used to roam around many countries and can live in almost any habitat — aside from deserts and tropical rainforests. The subspecies are spread throughout Africa. Below you will see a map showing where they are found.
The African Lion is a very important member of the food chain. They are fierce predators, eating anything from buffalos to wildebeests to zebras, even elephants. Without the African Lion as the controller, the ecosystem would explode and grow with no limits.
Because of their grande reputation, African Lions are hunted and persecuted by humans. They also need a wide spread of land to hunt and roam, and with more human development, habitat loss is a huge threat to the species.
There are several effects that could happen if the African Lion becomes extinct. Most importantly, without the top predator, the smaller animals’ populations would become out of control. This would throw off the entire food chain. African Lions are typically hunting herd animals, and they usually go for the weakest member of the herd, leaving the stronger, healthier members to go and repopulate. This keeps healthy genes among the herd animals. If the lions were not there to kill of the weaklings, the parasites and diseases would spread to the rest of the herd, resulting in weaker herds in general and therefore weak reproduction and weak species.
Most conservation efforts are started due to high demand to see African Lions on tours. Humans love to see these lions and want to make sure they stay alive and well to keep attracting more and more tourists. Other conservation efforts are encouraging humans to learn how to live and coexist with African Lions, that way we will stop overtaking their habitats.
GIS is being used by scientists who are studying how these lions live and what is/isn’t working in regards to conservation efforts. GIS tools are also used to test-run some “what-if” scenarios and see how the ecosystem and/or species will react to certain factors — like droughts, fires, and diseases.
How you can help!
- Learn, learn learn! Teach, teach, teach!
- Discourage hunting them, do not support friends who are going on hunting trips with intentions to kill a lion
- Learn to appreciate their habitat — don’t support businesses that are expanding and taking over their land
- Donate to Marnus! Read his story about his conservation efforts and invest as much as you’d like, beginning at $10. https://donorbox.org/help-marnus-save-lions?amount=25
- Watch these short films to learn more about how/why to conserve African Wildlife: https://programs.empowersafrica.org/?kw=African%20Wildlife%20Conservation&gclid=Cj0KCQjwna2FBhDPARIsACAEc_X9RfVIQXJ39SJQLT8Rk0-cb7jCYDF8ZgCr_rrHJAwZCBEKupgG1OcaAmtoEALw_wcB
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