Samuel Johnson’s dictionary of the English language from 1755 describes the lion as “the fiercest and most magnanimous of the four footed beasts”. Few species can challenge the symbolic importance of the lion. Across the globe they have guarded temples, adorned thrones, symbolised chivalry and royalty, and advertised our cars, clothes and football teams. Yet the knowledge of their demise is few and far between.
In the 1970s it was estimated there were some 200,000 lions across the African continent. More recent censuses (2002 & 2004) have now put this figure at 35,000-15,000 demonstrating an 80-90% decline of the population. No other species known to man has ever declined at such a magnitude in such a relatively short space of time. There are now approximately 16 viable, yet isolated populations that remain in Africa. The lion is now extinct in 26 of the 54 African states and those populations that remain are under a constant fire-line of threats. One of the largest, most barbaric and completely legal threats to shrinking lion populations is trophy hunting.
No other species known to man has ever declined at such a magnitude
Trophy hunting has been more or less a millionaires sport for hundreds of years taking Sirs, Dukes and Majesties into the wilds of Africa, India, Europe and so on. In Africa millions of tourists each year hope to catch a glimpse of the Big 5 – the lion, the leopard, the black rhino, the buffalo and the elephant. However few realise the infamous ‘Big 5’ label actually refers to the five most sought after mammals by the 18,500 annual visiting hunters, so if you fancy a holiday in the sun to conquer the Big 5 with your rifle you only need to book your room at one of the many lodges that promise success.
After a week of trepidation the hunter proudly poses with his bleeding trophy for the ultimate ‘Kodak moment’
Lion trophy hunting involves a wealthy hunter, usually from the UK or USA, a professional hunter (PH) and/or field guide from one of Africa’s 1,300 hunting operating companies, and of course a male lion. Once US$10-70,000 has crossed palms a PH escorts the hunter into the ‘bush’ where they begin to track down the king of beasts. The hunting trip camps out for many nights under the starry African skies and listens out for the fearsome roar of their trophy. Finally, the hunter spots his prize perhaps feeding on a recent kill or sleeping off the midday heat. He raises his rifle, aims and makes an instant kill shot through the heart or brain. After a week of trepidation the hunter proudly poses with his bleeding trophy for the ultimate ‘Kodak moment’. The male lion is inspected further and appears to be approximately 10 years old and therefore likely to not be a pride male but a nomad. His death will therefore have no long lasting detrimental impacts upon prides in the area. The huge some of money paid for this trip will directly benefit not only the conservation of the protected area the hunt was undertaken in but also reach those local communities who are forced to live alongside lions and who often lose livestock to raiding pride members.
Sir David Scholey suggested the hunting trip was within all legal quotas and requirements, and carried out humanely
Recently the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2 hosted a debate concerning a picture leaked by the British tabloids showing the Tory-supporter and banker Sir David Scholey posing next to a young male lion he had shot in the heart and lungs. This photo was taken in Zambia, one of Africa’s top five trophy hunting countries. The image of the dead, blood splattered cat obviously enraged animal welfare groups and sparked the heated BBC Radio 2 debate. Defending the sport an avid hunter explained at length the ‘truth’ and importance of lion trophy hunting in Africa. He argued the industry contributes to national GDP, creates revenue for protected areas, provides a much needed income and employment for local communities while the annual off-take of male lions helps to regulate and sustain populations. He and Sir David Scholey suggested the hunting trip was within all legal quotas and requirements, and carried out humanely. This, to put it bluntly, is utterly absurd.
Firstly, let’s tackle the suggestion that lion trophy hunting is a sustainable sport and can benefit the viability of wild populations. Nearly all published scientific articles concerning this issue state the loss of older male lions (+6 years), that have been kicked out of their pride by younger males and now live a nomadic existence, poses no ecological or social threat to the wild population of an area. In lion society a male lion may rule a pride for some 5-6yrs before being challenged by a younger and stronger male. The older male, usually +9 years, will then leave the pride if not killed by the newcomer and die naturally as a nomad. This process of exiled males ensures genetic variation within a population, preventing inbreeding and consequent health implications. However, should a ruling pride male be shot the knock on effects are enormous. The pride male protects not only his territory alongside his pride females but the females themselves and his cubs. New males that may take over a pride will kill any cubs less than 12 months of age and even defensive females in the process. This is known as ‘infanticide’. By killing cubs a male is ensuring his new pride females sire his offspring. Once they have lost cub’s lionesses will come into estrous and mate with their new male, this means the male is raising his own offspring rather than those of the previous male. Cub mortality in lions is very high (approximately 50%) and infanticide contributes largely to this natural process. However the unnatural removal of a pride male by a hunter would put numerous cubs at higher risk from other males. It’s estimated as many as 20 lions may consequently die from the removal of a pride male.
There’s also an issue of numbers. As pre-mentioned recent studies have suggested there are some 35,000 lions remaining in Africa. This means there are approximately 3,500 males. The US alone imports 60% of all lion trophies shot each year and this adds up to around 650 male lions. Simple mental arithmetic will tell you this means Africa could loose all its male lions within 5-6 years. Between 1992 and 2009 nearly 15,000 lions were exported; this rate is quite simply not sustainable.
Trophy hunting is legal in 11 African states and hunting areas cover some 110 million hectares of the continent
The defeated lion that was seen next to Sir Scholey appears to be a fairly young lion with an immature mane, suggesting he was approximately 4 yrs old and upon the cusp of becoming a pride male if not one already. As for this specific hunt being humane some tabloids have reported the hunt used ‘bait’ to lure the lion. This means meat or a carcass was left for the lion whilst Sir Scholey remained concealed nearby poised and ready with his rifle; hardly the epic hunt in the wilderness as described earlier. Sir Scholey was quoted “The lion I killed certainly wasn’t an endangered species where I was hunting it.” And this is true to some extent. Area’s known as Lion Conservation Units (LCU) throughout Africa are categorised as viable, potentially viable or doubtfully viable. In Zambia most are categorised as viable LCU’s despite there being as little as 1,500 in the entire country. Zambia is a top exporting trophy country and established the ADMADE programme. This programme was created to benefit communities through trophy hunting and improve wildlife management effectiveness in areas. Sadly though only 2% of revenue from trophy hunting was actually received by communities through the ADMADE programme while the hunting operators and government retained the rest.
Claims that lion trophy hunting provides a much-needed income for local communities and contributes directly to national GDP are completely unfounded
This brings us to the suggestion made that lion trophy hunting provides economical value. Trophy hunting is legal in 11 African states and hunting areas cover some 110 million hectares of the continent. The combined income received from hunting in these 11 countries is approximately $200 million each year. Unfortunately, this revenue broken down reads as, $1.1 per hectare per year and $0.1 per hectare per year for community owned land set aside for hunting. 14.9% of the land of these 11 countries is set aside for hunting yet this industry contributes as little as 0.06% on average to a GDP. In Zimbabwe, another top trophy exporting and infamously poor country, the average annual income from trophy hunting received by each household (approximately 10 people) is $1-3. In Tanzania, communities receive $0.04 per hectare per year from hunting. These astonishingly unfair revenues explain why many communities don’t consider hunting areas to be of any benefit and turn to poaching as means of necessary livelihood.
Claims that lion trophy hunting provides a much-needed income for local communities and contributes directly to national GDP are completely unfounded. This sport provides no such financial contribution nor is it ecologically sustainable in any way, shape or form for wild lion populations. It only continues to threaten this noble species and push it further towards extinction.
So is the future for the King of Beasts doomed? Not necessarily. Currently organisations such as the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) and Lionaid are working to combat all of the above and create much needed awareness. UK and EU governments have been approached with a proposal to ban lion trophy importation, which will not only drastically increase lion population viability but also put huge pressure upon the US to also ban the importation of lion trophies and finally bring an end to this corrupt and atrocious blood sport.
If the King of the Jungle is to fall, what hope is there for the rest of his kingdom?
Please visit www.lionalert.org and www.lionaid.org for more information