The Pride of African Wildlife – Protecting the Lion

September 29, 2014 admin Africa Wildlife Foundation, Africa's endangered animals, Tunde Folawiyo, tunde folawiyo africa, tunde folawiyo bio, tunde folawiyo executive, tunde folawiyo profile, West African Lion

The roar of the majestic African lion, whose prides once roamed the savannas of the continent, is becoming increasingly silent as the African lion population declines at a startling rate. The most in-depth study, which was completed in 2012 by conservation specialists at Duke University in the US, revealed that the African lion population has decreased from 100,000 lions to just 32,000 within the past 50 years, with populations in West Africa deteriorating the fastest. Researchers predict that the next 10 years will become a deciding factor in the decimation of the species, which if allowed to happen, will have dire consequences for the ecosystem of the entire savannah region.

The savannas in Africa support a diverse and interconnected ecosystem, where each species plays a vital role in the future of every other species. These regions, which once comprised an area about one-third larger than the size of the continental United States, are now only about one-fourth their original size. This shrinking environment is the home to most of the world’s wild lion population, which must seek refuge elsewhere, if they are to survive the encroachment of human development. With other locations close to the migration of these homeless lions, their fate is sealed and many die from lack of food or are killed by fearful farmers protecting livestock.

Without the lion as the top-most predator on this fragile food chain, the savanna’s largest herbivores, such as buffalo and zebras, the lion’s primary prey, would increase and cause devastating results for the plant life and small animal habitats in the area as well as eliminating the food supply of smaller herbivores.

Lions are a significant factor in strengthening future generations of the herds in which they prey, usually selecting the weakest members for their food. These smaller, weaker animals are often infested with disease or carriers of pathogens dangerous to the herd; therefore, the elimination of these sickly animals, by the lions, make it possible for the herd to stay healthy and to pass along stronger, more disease resistant traits to their offspring. Without the lions to naturally cleanse a herd of these animals, the herd as whole would become weaker and more fragile with time.

Leading businessman Tunde Folawiyo has a keen interest in the future of the lions of Africa. In the Tunde Folawiyo about page, he mentions some of the many efforts underway to protect the lions.. Organisations such as Lion Alert have programmes and events to raise awareness of the lions’ fate, unless steps are taken to protect them.

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