Tunde Folawiyo | Lion pride numbers in Africa continue to fall

June 9, 2014 Editor Tunde Folawiyo, tunde folawiyo africa, tunde folawiyo bio, tunde folawiyo executive, tunde folawiyo film festival, tunde folawiyo london, tunde folawiyo oil, tunde folawiyo profile, West African Lion

Over the course of the last two decades, the total number of lions in Africa has dropped by 30%. The dramatic fall in the population of West African lions is likely to be of particular concern to conservationist enthusiasts such as Tunde Folawiyo, with recent estimates indicating that there are approximately 250 left in the wild.

The most comprehensive study of this sub-species was conducted by Dr. Philip Henschel and his team of researchers, who spent 6 years travelling through 17 West African countries, looking for prides. Previous research suggested that there should have been at least 21 groups in this part of the continent; however, Henschel’s study showed that there were just five left, each of which contained about 50 lions.

However, although the rapidly falling numbers of West African lions has making the headlines as of late, there are also growing concerns for the lion species as a whole. An ITV programme, presented by the actor Martin Clunes, revealed that there are just 30,000 lions left in the continent, and that this animal could become extinct within the next decade, if drastic action is not taken to protect it.

The programme focused on the plight of one abandoned cub called Mugie, whom the organisation Born Free were attempting to release back into the wild in Kenya. During this process, Clunes discovered just how close this species is to dying out, and described the revelation as both ‘depressing and astonishing’.

Hope is not entirely lost however; new research published in the BMC Evolutionary Biology journal may help to boost the declining populations. Scientists involved in this study carried out comparisons of the genetic signatures of extinct and living lions, in order to accurately identify the sub-species of lions in Africa.

Those who are interested in wildlife conservation, like Tunde Folawiyo will be aware that along with poaching and habitat encroachment, loss of genetic diversity is partly to blame for the dwindling number of lions found in the wild. Genetic diversity plays a vital role in the health of lions (and all animals, for that matter), helping to increase a species’ ability to adapt to its environment. It is hoped that these findings may help conservationists to prevent further loss of genetic diversity, which usually arises from the mismanagement of lion breeding programmes.

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