By Rashidat Oladele
The conservation group, Wild Africa Fund, is urging the public to take action to protect West African lions from the brink of extinction.
These majestic creatures, once abundant across the region, now face critical endangerment, with only 120 to 374 remaining in West Africa.
In stark contrast to their counterparts in South Africa, where lions are generally well protected and maintain stable populations, West African lions are on the precipice of extinction.
They have lost 99 percent of their historic range, primarily due to habitat loss, decline in prey species due to the bushmeat trade, retaliatory killings for livestock predation, and the lethal snares and traps set for bushmeat.
Nigeria, with fewer than 50 wild lions remaining, has them concentrated in Kainji Lake National Park and the Yankari Games Reserve in the northern region.
In Ghana, researchers have struggled to find any lions in the wild, suggesting possible extinction. In other West African countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Mali, and Sierra Leone, lions have disappeared entirely.
Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative for Wild Africa Fund, emphasizes the urgency of the situation, saying, “West African lions might disappear forever if we don’t urgently address the threats they face. If we can protect their habitats more effectively, they could bounce back and boost our tourism.”
Wild Africa Fund believes that it is possible to halt the decline of West African lions and restore their numbers, taking inspiration from countries that have successfully brought lion populations back from the brink of extinction.
These magnificent animals have faced a relentless onslaught, including illegal hunting, poaching for the illegal wildlife trade, direct killings due to livestock conflicts, and habitat loss. Today, lions occupy only 1 percent of their original range in West Africa.
There are examples of successful lion conservation efforts, such as in Rwanda, where lions were completely wiped out in the 1990s.
However, through dedicated efforts and reintroduction from South Africa, Rwanda’s Akagera National Park now boasts a thriving population of about 58 lions.
Wild Africa Fund underscores that it’s never too late to protect and rebuild the critically endangered lion populations in West Africa, particularly in countries like Ghana, where lions may have become extinct.
Peter Knights, co-founder and CEO of Wild Africa Fund, emphasized the immense cultural significance of lions and the potential for wildlife tourism to provide employment opportunities.
He said, “Their disappearance in West Africa would be tragic and squander an opportunity to foster wildlife tourism that has provided millions of jobs in east and southern Africa.”
Saving these lions is not just a conservation effort; it’s an investment in the future of the region.