Hunting Lion

Bobpuckett said:

Very Well Stated! :clapping:

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x2
had a similar discussion with a doctor at the cancer hospital less than 2 weeks ago
might as well been talking to one of the paintings on the wall

I should have a bumper sticker "If it pays it stays", because in the real world that is close to a 100 % guarantee!

gday enysee
between that one and the intrinsic value concept
im hoping to see the same doctor next week when im back down the city

BRICKBURN said:

Ok, your solution is to kill the poachers.

What about the folks protecting their lawful livelihood?

For instance:
Kenyans are killing Lions because the Lions are killing their cows. Just protecting their property.
No one is paying them for their dead cattle or destroyed crops (Elephants).
They will kill more Lions than all the sport hunters in Africa combined.
Give them some time, they will eradicate any park Lion that exits to "raid".
They may even manage to get them all.

Once all the Lions are dead the local farmers problem is solved.
They will also not contribute one dollar to Lion conservation. Hunters do!

The local communities receive income from wildlife, specifically hunting.

World Wildlife Fund seems to understand the concept of Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) Program.:
Namibia | Places | WWF

I contribute, as do all hunters here, by paying into a fund that provides crop damage repayments and losses due to wildlife predation.


Before I set foot in Africa I did not really understand the reality on the ground.


Intrinsic value is a great concept, but hungry people do not care!

"If it pays, it stays!"
If not, ....

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An excellent example in the News:

Kenya: Naivasha Farmers Threaten to Kill Wildlife


BY GEORGE MURAGE, 30 AUGUST 2013 The Star

Farmers in Maella village, Naivasha have threatened to kill all wild animals intruding into the area. They said the animals have been invading their farms and destroying crops.

Joyce Wangui, a maize farmer said the animals sneak into their farms from a nearby conservancy. "They invade our farms in large numbers and we fear because they include buffalos," she said.

Wangui said some farmers have abandoned their farms that neighbour for fear of night attacks. She said that if the situation is not contained, the farmers will be rendered jobless.

Wangui who is a maize farmer noted that if nothing was done to contain the animals they would be "Our farms are the bread basket for towns such as Naivasha, Mai Mahiu, Gilgil and parts of Nakuru and if something is not done then there might be a huge shortage of food stafuus in the market," she said.

County assembly member Mujina Kariuki said some farmers have never harvested anything for the last four years. "The animals have left a trail of destruction and we call for concerted efforts to contain them or we shall deal with them the way we know," he said.

Kariuki said apart from zebra's, gazzelles and buffalloes too have been destroying crops while a lion from the conservancy has been attacking mouling their animals.

He said the male Lion had already killed two goats and three donkeys adding that the residents have been left in fear.

"It comes from the nearby Oserian conservancy but we have had a meeting with the owners and they have agreed to take it to a restricted area".

Poachers use cyanide to kill 41 elephants in Zim
Zimbabwe's Chronicle, Sipho Kings

Poachers have mixed cyanide with salt to quietly take down elephants in the north of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's Chronicle reported that police broke a syndicate of six poachers that killed and took the tusks of 41 elephants in Hwange.

The poachers laced salt with cyanide and put it around large pools where the elephants normally went to drink water. When they died their tusks would then be cut off and taken back to their homes.

The poachers were caught after rangers heard gunshots and went to the scene. They followed the tracks back to a house that was used as a storage space. One of them was then convinced by the police and rangers to phone the rest of the gang and come to the house, where they were arrested.

Police recovered 17 tusks worth R1.2-million in total.

The newspaper also reported the local chief inspector saying: "What they are doing is very cruel because it does not end in the death of the elephants. Animals that feed on the dead elephants will die and those that feed on these will also die [because cyanide stays in the system]."

I don't doubt the story BB, but it's a bit confusing. If they were using cyanide, why did they then fire off a rifle? Of course these guys are probably not the brightest bulbs in the pack.

The sad part is the wildlife not only the elepants but what of the lions and leopards that would eat this meat. I'm glad the poachers were caught but if this cyanide were to get into the water would it not kill everything that drank the water even people?

Warriors Kill Lion in Samburu
BY RAABIA HAWA,
10 SEPTEMBER 2013

A lion was killed at Kalama Conservancy in Samburu on Friday.

The eight-year-old lion, named Loirish, was sleeping under a tree with his brother when warriors attacked them.

The warriors burnt his head to destroy his collar. Wardens at the conservancy had fitted a collar on the lion for hourly updates on his movements. Loirish was fitted with the collar to guard against herders in the area. The burnt collar was found with the lion's remains.
In a statement, Ewaso Lions stated: "We are extremely saddened by the loss of Loirish.
He was only one of 40 lions within our study area".
"We are working with the community and local officials to determine the course of action."

Investigations into the killing are ongoing with a combined effort from Ewaso Lions, Kalama Conservancy, Samburu National Reserve rangers, Kenya Wildlife Service and Osotua Wildlife Foundation.


Another one bites the dust!

That collar sure helped guard him.

a very interesting thread. I learned quite a lot about lions from some of you here. I hope we get to talk about them more.

One thing that really surprised me - was that someone ate cat meat. it would not have even occured to me to try to eat lion meat. and frankly, I have eaten a lot of "weird" foods in Africa. now there's a good topic - maybe we will start one of those discussions. Hahahaha! But anyway, I'll stick to meat from warthogs. that is some fine meat from Africa

i think the problem that PH's are having is that clients are showing up from the West and they have some sort of "list" of animals that they think they must shoot. and if they don't get one of these animals - suddenly they are acting disappointed, or perhaps it is the fault of the PGH or the game farm. That is ridiculous. Really, it is an immature way to approach Africa. I will say this openly, because I know the PH's don't want to offend possible clients. But if you come to Africa on any kind of safari - just go out and enjoy each day. Each day accept life for what AFRICA gives you - and set aside all your hopes from your homeland. Africa is not a place. Africa is a world all of its own. So if you can clear your heart and your mind - you will learn a lot and enjoy a lot. Instead of criticizing your PH, enjoy his company and see how he looks at life. You will come away with riches, instead of being disappointed because you did not bag a kudu or a lion

Upepo

received this one....

An aerial view of a pride of lions feeding on a buffalo kill in the White iMfolozi riverbed in KwaZulu Natal.

observe said:

received this one....

An aerial view of a pride of lions feeding on a buffalo kill in the White iMfolozi riverbed in KwaZulu Natal.

View attachment 22621

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I would have sworn it was the Blood River in Natal. Neat photo.

Upepo said:

a very interesting thread. I learned quite a lot about lions from some of you here. I hope we get to talk about them more.

One thing that really surprised me - was that someone ate cat meat. it would not have even occured to me to try to eat lion meat. and frankly, I have eaten a lot of "weird" foods in Africa. now there's a good topic - maybe we will start one of those discussions. Hahahaha! But anyway, I'll stick to meat from warthogs. that is some fine meat from Africa

i think the problem that PH's are having is that clients are showing up from the West and they have some sort of "list" of animals that they think they must shoot. and if they don't get one of these animals - suddenly they are acting disappointed, or perhaps it is the fault of the PGH or the game farm. That is ridiculous. Really, it is an immature way to approach Africa. I will say this openly, because I know the PH's don't want to offend possible clients. But if you come to Africa on any kind of safari - just go out and enjoy each day. Each day accept life for what AFRICA gives you - and set aside all your hopes from your homeland. Africa is not a place. Africa is a world all of its own. So if you can clear your heart and your mind - you will learn a lot and enjoy a lot. Instead of criticizing your PH, enjoy his company and see how he looks at life. You will come away with riches, instead of being disappointed because you did not bag a kudu or a lion

Upepo

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+1 - Well said Upepo.

Well said, we should and can never under estimate the value of Game ranches in SA on conservation as a whole, ranchers in SA are so often criticised by operators and clients alike from other Africa countries, and I mostly believe that it is in pure ignorance...

Don't get me wrong I love hunting in wilderness areas hence our involvement in Mozambique, but the writing is on the wall... IMO

We would all like to have kept Africa as wild as it has always been but gentlemen hear me today those days are fast disappearing, in a developing Africa, some useful facts about ranches in SA....

Thanks PHASA -Role of Private Wildlife Ranchers & Hunting:

Today we have 10 000+ privately owned game ranches in South Africa covering an area of 20 500 000 mil hectares. around 45 million acres, This is land that supports wildlife and is mostly marginal agricultural land.

In contrast, the Government Reserves collectively cover a mere 7 500 000 mil (15 million acres) hectares.

A huge portion of the privately owned land entertains hunting, with a portion which entertains photographic tourism.

South Africa has approximately 6000 foreign hunter tourists visiting our country each year, and the game ranching and hunting industry accounts for approximately R8 Billion to the GDP each year, and its growing.

Employment is created to well over 100 000 people directly; the domino benefit to families is exponential.

This huge conservation success story which began in the late 1960s is all as a result of the value that was and is placed on wildlife, including rhino. Today there are +-19 000 rhino in South Africa, of which 5000+ are on private land.

Upepo what you are saying is spot on as PG hunting in South Africa will spoil most hunters...

My best always..

Shooting or Hunting: What is it to be?

Shooting or Hunting: What is it to be?
by Gerhard Damm and Peter Flack

More than a decade ago, representatives and leadership of organized professional hunting in South Africa condemned the practice of shooting canned lions in the country and they were in good company with practically all associations and clubs in Africa and around the world in agreement. We reported quite frequently on "canned shooting" issues and, when researching the subject, I found in African Indaba Volume 4 # 5 (September 2006, page 9, see attached pdf document), the article "The Shooting of Captive Bred Lions" the subtitle reading "PHASA (Professional Hunters Association of South Africa) Policy Statement issued May 2006".

One phrase from this Statement deserves to be mentioned "... any member who may be involved in the shooting of captive bred lions is requested to refrain from such activities or resign (his/her) membership of PHASA. Furthermore, PHASA is going public with this stance. A letter will be sent out to the media...". Reference was made to a PHASA Policy Statement of 1999, which reads under point 1 that "PHASA hereby states categorically and unequivocally that it does not consider the practice of "canned lion shooting" to be a form of hunting" and under point 4 that "PHASA deems an animal to be canned, when that animal cannot sustain itself, breed freely and be hunted under the principles of fair chase".

Now we heard that PHASA has made an about turn and adopted the position of the South African Predator Breeders' Association (SAPA) on this matter without alteration (African Indaba has a copy of the PHASA document dated 20.11.2013). What used to be canned lion shooting is now called "Hunting of Captive Bred Lions". Sounds better, doesn't it? But it still remains the same old thing. It reminds me of the old Grouch Marx statement, "Of course I have principles. But if you don't like these, I have others!" Something like this must have been on the mind of those who elected to embrace the money-making machine of canned lion shooting as old school outfitters and professional hunters were apparently steamrollered by the vast majority of PHASA members who adopted the SAPA policy on lions. In this regard, we shouldn't forget the political support for this position by some of the Conservation/ Environmental departments in South Africa's nine provinces.

"... PHASA has taken a very strong stand against the hunting of captive bred Lions and we reject the hunting of any captive bred large predator under any conditions... We don't want canned Lions! It discredits hunting and it serves no conservation purpose..." (from a speech at the Limpopo Wildlife Exp, 2005)

We often hear that the canned lion industry only exists because there is a high demand to shoot these poor beasts but you can probably also reverse this argument, at least to certain extent, if you look at the advertisements for lion "hunts" on the internet, which usually portrays a South African lion "hunt" as a breath-taking adventure. Another argument claims that "the hunting [sic] of captive bred lions assists the conservation of wild lions by reducing hunting pressure on them".

Well, there is indeed a high demand for hunting a lion in the African wilderness. But lion hunting and their annual quotas are tightly regulated and controlled in all range countries which allow lion hunting. The quotas in these countries will always find eager hunters willing to pay the high prices for the privilege of hunting a wild lion; even if the chances of harvesting a mature male lion are 50/50 at best and not a few hunters go home empty-handed. This category of hunters will continue to hunt wild African lions and thus contribute to lion conservation in more than one way,

This cannot be said of the other type of "hunter" who opts for the "guaranteed" shooting of canned South African lions. Their money goes to the lion breeder and the professional hunter and not a cent finds its way into lion conservation. It is a well-established fact that this kind of lion breeding has no conservation value. If the argument of reduced hunting pressure on wild individuals by hunting captive bred animals has any validity, the question must be asked why do we not then hunt captive-bred large carnivores like grizzlies in North America or brown bears in Eurasia?

Canned Lion Shooting Revisited

Canned Lion Shooting Revisited
by Gerhard Damm and Peter Flack

In the previous issue of African Indaba, we discussed canned lion shooting under the title Hunting or Shooting: What is it to be? We wanted to provoke a reaction, and indeed, we succeeded. PHASA, the Professional Hunters' Association of South Africa circulated an email on 19th December 2013. The email did not reach the authors directly, nor was it addressed to African Indaba; we received it in copy from a PHASA member. Our readers may be interested what PHASA had to say, and here it is:

SHOOTING OR HUNTING: CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE PHASA HAS A DUTY TO BE INVOLVED

The issue of lion hunting is both topical and emotive, and it is a pity that Messrs Damm and Flack have elected not to make a constructive contribution to the public debate on this subject but have instead produced a polemic which is factually inaccurate and fundamentally misrepresents PHASA's position (African Indaba, 5 December 2013).

The authors' attack on PHASA is based on their confusion between canned hunting and the hunting of captive-bred lions. These are not the same: canned hunting, which is illegal in South Africa, is when the animal is hunted while it is drugged or in an enclosed hunting area too small for the lion to evade the hunter; in captive-bred hunting, the animal is released into an extensive wildlife system to be hunted in accordance with South Africa's strict and explicit regulations.

PHASA is now, and always has been, strongly opposed to canned hunting and will act against any of its members who engage in this activity. PHASA will continue to work with the government and the law enforcement agencies to eradicate this practice. This position was reaffirmed at its annual general meeting in December 2013.

PHASA's position on captive bred hunting was, prior to our 2013 AGM, covered by the following policy: "PHASA supports the responsible hunting of all species in a sustainable wildlife system, in which animals can fend for themselves, provided that they are hunted in accordance with the laws of the land and PHASA's own code of conduct."

There have however been a number of developments that necessitated a review of our 2006 position, as stipulated in the previous paragraph, on captive-bred hunting. First, the South African Predator Breeders' Association (SAPA) won its appeal against the Minister of Environmental Affairs in 2010, effectively ending any attempts to stop the practice in South Africa; second, the Department of Environmental Affairs has itself significantly softened its stance on the activity, calling it sustainable; and third, demand for lion hunting continues to grow.

Given this growth in demand, the fact that captive-bred lion hunting was deemed legal and sustainable by our courts and government, and the potential risks that continued unethical hunting practices in the captive-bred hunting industry posed to traditional trophy hunting, we resolved at our 2011 AGM that it would be a dereliction of our duties to simply distance ourselves from the practice while ignoring continued unethical hunting and the damage this could cause to the reputation of all trophy hunting activities.

As such, we entered into a dialogue with SAPA to improve the conditions in which lions are reared and hunted, and over the two year period we have helped SAPA draw up a set of norms which we believe is a good starting point to ensure that captive-bred lion hunting is carried out responsibly.

There are too many distortions and inaccuracies in the article by Messrs Damm and Flack to deal with individually it is worth noting that the only authority they cite for their assertions is one of their own articles and readers who would like to know more about PHASA's policies and principles are welcome to contact me.

Hermann Meyeridricks

PHASA president

For further information contact Adri Kitshoff, PHASA chief executive, on 083 650 0442

We suggest that our readers assess the PHASA statement in conjunction with a statement which can be found on a website called SAMPEO. SAMPEO is an acronym for South Africa's Most Professional and Experienced Outfitters; the group consists of eight senior professional hunters, all currently members of PHASA in good standing and their respective outfitting companies (see South African Outfitters - South Africa's most proven and expereinced outfitters for the names of individual SAMPEO members). Here is the SAMPEO statement:

SOUTH AFRICA'S MOST PROVEN AND EXPERIENCED OUTFITTERS (SAMPEO Est. 2011) STANCE ON CAPTIVE BRED / CANNED LION HUNTING

We, hunting outfitters and members in good standing of PHASA, feel compelled to express our views on the recent decision by PHASA to support the shooting of canned/captive bred lions.

This represents a reversal of the decision by PHASA in 1999 and reiterated in 2006 with regard to the practice of shooting canned/captive bred lions and as such, we unanimously and unequivocally:

1. Condemn the immoral practice of canned/captive bred lion shooting, where lions are bred for the SOLE purpose of being killed by paying clients and play no meaningful contribution to wildlife conservation, financial or otherwise that aids the species the African Lion (Panthera leo) in its natural state.

2. See no meaningful distinction between the terms "canned" or "captive bred" lion.

3. Believe that the shooting of lion, bred and raised in breeding facilities and subsequently released for a period agreed by PHASA and SAPA of 7 days prior to the shoot commencing, is reprehensible.

4. Do not believe that the adoption by PHASA of the SAPA norms and standards for the shooting of canned/captive bred lions can be considered fair chase hunting. Where the animal is self-sustaining, can feed naturally, breed naturally and has a chance of evading the hunter. None of these criteria are met.

5. The inability of both Associations to police the current norms and standards, due to both being "voluntary" Associations and not "statutory" bodies is a major concern. As no sway is held over "non-members" to either Association

6. We believe the practice is degrading to the African Lion, which is an iconic and regal symbol of all African wildlife.

The activities of a few have severely tarnished the reputation of our industry. They have caused major harm to those of us who are committed to acceptable hunting practices that enhance the already significant conservation efforts that have been and are made by hunting in South Africa.

We note that PHASA states that our article is "polemic ... factually inaccurate and fundamentally misrepresents PHASA's position" and that there are "too many distortions and inaccuracies in the article ... to deal with individually". For his statement to be seen as anything other than playing the man instead of the ball, it would require a detailed statement, not only in support of the contentions of PHASA, but an explanation of how the opinions expressed by Damm and Flack differ from those of some senior PHASA members, amongst them former presidents and vice presidents of the association, as shown in the SAMPEO statement. The attentive reader will note that the authors of the PHASA statement also choose not quote the two official PHASA policy statements on canned shooting (1999 and 2006) mentioned by Damm and Flack.

African Indaba readers may also be interested that Damm quoted David Mabunda, SANParks CEO in a presentation made at the 2011 PHASA AGM. Mabunda's words were a direct citation from the concluding section of Peter Flack's acclaimed book The South African Conservation Success Story and the corresponding documentary CD, which was launched in March 2011 in Johannesburg with PHASA, WRSA, CHASA, SAHGCA, amongst others as promoters. Mabunda's clear message said

... despite the benefits hunting and wildlife ranching have brought to South Africa, the future of wildlife and its conservation in this country may well be at crossroads ... [with] a land and wildlife conservation model that [enfranchises] large numbers of previously disenfranchised people lacking, ... [when] a significant rise in canned and put & take killings has tarnished the image of hunting, and ... [when]new entrants to South African game ranching have brought with them methods from the domestic livestock industry.

Damm recalls that the reaction of the audience was mixed some applauding, and a few calling for his removal from the floor. During the same AGM, the president of PHASA announced that a dialogue with the SA Predators' Breeders was on the agenda; if we recall correctly, he put it on the agenda in order to make the breeders accept PHASA standards, and not vice versa.

Seasoned African Indaba readers know that our E-Newsletter reports about lion hunting and conservation, including canned lion shooting, from the time Damm conceptualized and started African Indaba in 2003. In many articles we supported and actually praised PHASA for their clear policy statements against canned shooting (if you are interested you can go to the African Indaba archives Welcome and download every single issue). We argued the case of regulated and sustainable wild lion hunting, but we cannot and will not cave in on our view of killing captive bred and raised lions for the sake of economic benefits for a few. To paraphrase PHASA hunting or shooting, call it what you like, African Indaba will stay involved!

Lions Approach Extinction in West Africa

Lions Approach Extinction in West Africa
by Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic, Published January 8, 2014

Lions may soon disappear entirely from West Africa unless conservation efforts improve, a new study predicts. The study, published January 8 in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS ONE, presents "sobering results" of a survey that took six years and covered 11 countries.

Lions once ranged from Senegal to Nigeria, a distance of more than 1,500 miles. The new survey found an estimated total of only 250 adult lions occupying less than one percent of that historic range. The lions form four isolated populations: one in Senegal; two in Nigeria; and a fourth on the borders of Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Only that last population has more than 50 lions.Study co-author Philipp Henschel, the Gabon-based survey coordinator for the big cat conservation group Panthera, told National Geographic. "In many countries it was not known that there were no more lions in those areas because there had been no funding to conduct surveys."

The survey covered 21 protected areas in 11 countries in West Africa. All the areas contained suitable intact lion habitat but only four isolated populations were recorded. The study identified the reduction in the lion's historic range as a result of large-scale land use changes as being the major cause that threatens he West African Lion. In addition lions that occur in protected areas have been killed by local people in retaliation to livestock killings, and the poaching of lions' prey to supply local and regional bushmeat markets. Henschel highlights in the report that park authorities in West Africa don't have the the resources to prevent retaliatory killings or poaching. "When we looked at the 21 management areas, we realized that six of them had no operating budget at all, and compared to the big game parks in South and East Africa, they are all understaffed. These 'paper parks' are systematically being stripped by poachers." said Henschel.

SCI: FIGHTING FOR LIONS CAMPAIGN: ONE YEAR LATER

With ONE MILLION hunter-raised dollars in the bank, one strategic plan to ensure the conservation of the African lion, and just one year; Safari Club International Foundation awaits the first indications of success with its Fighting for Lions Campaign. [The] United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will announce what protection status, if any, should be assigned to the African lion under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Anti-hunting organizations have petitioned the FWS to list African lions as endangered, and through a set procedure, the government must consider the ESA petition within a limited time frame. If [listed] as endangered, the U.S. market is closed to lion hunting causing a cascade of problems.

An endangered listing would essentially mean a total loss of U.S. citizen participation in lion hunting. International hunters would fill the void, but they would pay less to hunt. This means African lions would lose economic value. There would be an immediate reduction in revenue for private and government run anti-poaching efforts that protect lions, depredation compensation, and contributions to community development. As a result, farmers and ranchers will no longer have any incentive to protect lions: they would kill lions instead to protect their animals and families. Jobs and incomes of local people associated with the hunting industry would be at risk, and at the bottom of the cascade would be the lion. Ironically, lions will suffer most from the very Act that was designed to help conserve them.

For the same reasons, stopping all lion hunting (not just from U.S. hunters), would be devastating for lion conservation. This is the goal of anti-hunting organizations: to end all hunting, everywhere " without regard to its positive benefits. They will likely try to reach this goal by proposing to up-list lions to the maximum protection status at the next Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). African lions are presently protected under CITES, but their populations are healthy enough to sustain international trade. If the maximum CITES protection status is decided for lions, many countries would block their citizens from participating in international hunting and trade. The Fighting for Lions Campaign represents the hunting community and gives a voice to those who understand the importance of hunting to lion conservation. The campaign's three approaches to conserve lions across the entire African continent are:

- Population Research where needed;
- Conservation, which includes human-wildlife conflict and anti-poaching; and
- Outreach and Education.

The campaign brings science to the forefront and communicates that lions are absolutely not on the brink of extinction. In the past year, SCI Foundation has initiated or accomplished the following:

Population Research: Census surveys and organized research are of utmost importance to ensure the FWS and CITES have the correct information to make decisions. SCI Foundation has three major lion research projects underway, all of which are designed to improve lion conservation and management.

- Project 1: Lion aging experiment: If we can visually age lions in the field to a specific year class, then we can have more control over the harvest. Harvest of old lions is generally accepted as a best practice. SCI Foundation has partnered on a long term aging study that will determine whether it is possible to age lions in field situations, as well as post-harvest, with precision. This is currently a management need, as African countries trial age-based harvest regulations. The research includes lions from Zambia, Tanzania, and South Africa.
- Project 2: Zambia-wide lion population census: SCI Foundation is working to build a four-way partnership with Zambia's Wildlife Management Authority, University of Zambia, and Mississippi State University. This multiple-year population census will derive the most scientifically robust estimate of lions, and include statistical precision. This is a fundamental step to quota setting in Zambia with an anticipated reopening of hunting.
- Project 3: Study of harvest statistics in lion range states: SCIF has discovered a discrepancy between African government lion harvest statistics and trade statistics reported in a CITES database. The CITES database is the best information available regarding trade in protected wildlife, including lions. Thus, it is imperative that the database is accurate. Otherwise, analyses using the database to understand lion harvest and trade are inherently flawed.

Conservation (Human-Wildlife Conflict and Anti-Poaching): With population growth, humans and lions increasingly share the same lands resulting in conflicts. Increased agriculture and livestock production replaces the habitat of lions and their prey, exacerbating the problem. The more lions interact with humans, the more common poaching for bush meat and retaliatory killings becomes. By preventing these conflicts, we can help protect African lions from illegal killings. SCI Foundation is in communication with African governments to learn how we can alleviate human-wildlife conflict.

- On July 1, 2013, President Obama signed an executive order establishing a Presidential Taskforce on Combating Wildlife Trafficking (Taskforce). SCI Foundation is pleased that the administration has taken such a strong step to combat the growing problem of poaching and illegal wildlife trade. The Taskforce will coordinate efforts among federal agencies and work with foreign nations and international bodies to aid in enforcement against crime related to wildlife trafficking. To the best of our ability, SCI Foundation will be involved with the development of recommendations that are implemented by the task force.

- During the African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF), hosted by Zambia and SCI Foundation in Livingstone, Zambia, November of 2013, three letters were drafted:
--The first letter was to Director Ashe of the FWS asking for his consideration of the African nations represented at AWCF before making any decisions regarding the listing of the African Lion under the Endangered Species Act. All nations represented signed on.
--The second letter detailed the importance of the African government's intelligence to the development of strategy with wildlife trafficking and anti-poaching. All nations represented signed on and the letter has since been submitted to the record.
--The third letter was drafted by the PH Association representatives and expressed their interest to be involved, however possible, with anti-poaching efforts initiated by the Taskforce. Every single PH Association signed onto the letter giving a strong "boots-on-the ground" voice that hunting in Africa is essential to combating wildlife trafficking. SCI Foundation acted on the 13 PH associations' behalf and submitted the letter for record.

Outreach and Education: Public opinion impacts regulatory decisions. SCI Foundation has completed public opinion surveys to help explain the impacts of an ESA listing and CITES up-listing to decision makers. Both regulatory mechanisms can have a great influence on hunters investing in the conservation of the African lion. Just like in the U.S., hunting generates conservation revenue in Africa. An Endangered status or up-listing for the African lion will result in major revenue losses for conservation and less protection for African lions in Zambia, Tanzania, and South Africa, among others.

- In early 2013, SCIF conducted extensive public research on the listing and the proper way to frame the argument to prevent the extinction of the African lion through its listing of endangered under the ESA. Further, SCI Foundation partnered with some of the foremost experts in Washington when it comes to the intricacies of the Endangered Species Act. These experts advised SCIF for the best course of action moving forward through 2014 and beyond.
- In June of 2013, SCIF participated in an exclusive workshop hosted by the FWS. SCIF Conservation Chair Dr. Al Maki outlined current conservation efforts across the lion's range and focused on Tanzania's successful management of the species. All participating biologists were in agreement that the African Lion was NOT "on the brink of extinction."
- Also in June of 2013, SCIF released "Keeping the Lion's Share" which counters a "study" issued by the petitioning groups questioning the role of hunters in helping African communities, and calling for African lions to be listed by the U.S. government as an endangered species. The report points to figures that show the millions of dollars contributed by hunters to African communities dwarf the paltry expenditures by the animal rights groups in sub-Saharan Africa. The report was published by many main stream media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo News, and CNBC.

The first real-world measure for the effectiveness of the Fighting for Lions Campaign starts with the Endangered Species Act. SCI Foundation's efforts with outreach and communication of lion science will be successful if the African lion is not listed as an endangered species. Future measures include CITES recommendations on how lions should be listed by CITES, ground breaking research being used in lion management, and public awareness of the benefits hunting has to lion conservation.

To make a donation to support the Fighting for Lions Campaign, contact Kimberly Byers at KByers@safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 Ext. 322. You may also contact your state representative to show your support to the campaign and SCI Foundation's wildlife conservation efforts. For a list of your elected US officials, click here.

LION NUMBERS COULD IMPROVE WITH NEW SUSTAINABLE HUNTING QUOTAS

"Data-poor management of African lion hunting using a relative index of abundance," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 16 December 2013. Corresponding author E. J. Milner-Gulland, Imperial College London

Researchers have devised a simple and reliable way to set sustainable quotas for hunting lions, to help lion populations to grow, in a new study. Trophy hunting occurs in 9 of the 28 African countries that have wild populations of lions. Hunting is legal in these countries but quotas are set to restrict the numbers of lions that can be killed.

Whilst such hunting is controversial, evidence suggests that it can help conservation efforts because it generates substantial revenue. Hunters can pay up to US$125,000 to shoot a male lion. This enables governments to leave wilderness areas as habitats for wildlife, rather than turning the land over for other uses such as farming. However, there is much uncertainty over the sustainability of quotas, as conservation authorities lack reliable information on the total number of lions inhabiting their countries. This has contributed to a decline in the number of lions across Africa, from an estimated 100,000 fifty years ago to roughly 30,000 today.

In a new study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, conservation scientists from Imperial College London and the Universities of Stirling and Cape Town devised a method that should ensure more sustainable hunting quotas. They created an algorithm that uses data about how long it takes to find and shoot a lion in a given area to estimate how many adult males can be hunted, whilst allowing the lion population to grow.

The researchers modelled the effects of introducing their new method for setting hunting quotas in a heavily depleted lion population and found that the number of adult males would grow from around 38 to 100 individuals in 30 years. During the same time, the sustainable quota could increase from 15 to 22 lions, thus benefiting hunters.

Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland, one of the authors of the research from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London, said: "Many people don't feel happy about the idea of hunting animals for sport, especially animals that are as beautiful and impressive as lions. However, in some areas, the money that comes in from hunting is what enables the land to be set aside for wildlife and this provides the lions with a home.

"As conservation scientists, we want to ensure that populations of lions can thrive. Our model shows that it is possible for lion numbers to grow even where there is hunting, but this only works if you set quotas for hunting at the right level, and in many places this is not happening at the moment. Our new method for setting quotas relies on information that is easy for governments to get hold of and it should be simple for them to use. It could also be used to set reliable quotas for other animals which are hunted by searching for individuals, such as wild sheep or deer. The next step is for us to test the method in the field and if it proves successful, we hope it can be widely adopted."

Biological Sciences Sustainability Science: Data-poor management of African lion hunting using a relative index of abundance. Charles T. T. Edwards, Nils Bunnefeld, Guy A. Balme and E. J. Milner-Gulland; published ahead of print December 16, 2013.

some more food for thought..

Just a few Small points I want to add.

1) I was at the PHASA AGM where a very close vote by the MEMBERS overturned the official PHASA position, not 1-2 fat cats with money to make.
2) no conservation value, when most of the lions in the Southern Kruger where decimated by Tuberculosis , they where re-stocked by the 7000 + captive bred lions in the country! more than any other country.
3) love it or hate it with the expanding human population and the USFW interference this might be the only way people will hunt lion in the future.
Best regards
Dave