New Population Of Lions Discovered In Ethiopia
A population of 100 lions that was previously unknown was recently discovered by a wildlife charity in North Western Ethiopia. The charity which discovered the lions is called the Born Free Foundation and says it has obtained images from camera traps as well as identified the tracks of lions roaming in the Alatash area which is a very remote part of Ethiopia close to the border with Sudan. Previously it was thought that the area had lost its entire lion population during the 20th century as a result of habitat destruction and hunting. Africa’s lion population has fallen by over half since the 1990’s.
It is thought that the lions are a sub species endemic to Central Africa. Prior to the discovery of the lion population it was believed that there were only 900 of such lions known to be left said Mark Jones of Born Free Foundation.
“Even though the team only visited the Ethiopian side of the park because of logistics, lions were likely to exist in the larger, adjacent Dinder National Park across the border in Sudan,” he said.
The discovery will be celebrated
Dr. Hans Bauer of Oxford University who himself is a renowned lion conservationist and led the expedition said it was the first time that lions had been confirmed to be living in the area. Dr. Bauer estimated that the area had the ability to host a population of lions numbering between 100 to 200. The discovery will be celebrated by conservationists in Africa who are concerned by the rapidly declining numbers of lions in West and Central parts of the continent.
“It is an important finding because knowing where the lions are will help us work with local people and wildlife authorities in order to improve protection and education around why lions are important and why it’s important to protect them,” Mr. Jones added.
Lion populations on the decline
A study conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said that many lion populations have either already disappeared or are expected to go within a few decades. Last year the killing of Cecil a famous lion in Zimbabwe by an American dentist sparked global outrage.
