Lioness with cubs in the green plains of Masai Mara
The unexpected arrival of three new members at a national park in Senegal represents a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to rescue the critically endangered West African lion from the brink of extinction. Florence and her cubs have sparked hope that the species can rebound and thrive once again.
New video footage reveals that a lioness from one of the world’s rarest lion populations has given birth to three cubs, raising optimism that this critically endangered big cat can be saved from the brink of extinction. In contrast to their southern counterparts, West African lions have suffered a near-total collapse, with only an estimated 120 to 374 individuals remaining in the wild, confined to just four populations across Nigeria, Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal is home to just 29 of these lions, living in the forests around the tributary to the Gambia River, where they face threats from poaching and loss of habitat due to farming. However, the newly captured footage of the lioness and her three cubs provides conservationists with a glimmer of hope for the survival of the species.
The recent addition of these cubs to the population in Niokolo-Koba is a promising sign, as the number of individuals in the area has risen from 10-15 in 2011 to a more significant quantity due to the concerted conservation efforts of Senegalese authorities and the Panthera organization since 2016. Previously, there was concern among scientists that Florence may have fallen victim to poaching after her GPS collar stopped transmitting her location. In response, camera traps were deployed in the last known area of her whereabouts, revealing that she was raising her cubs in a heavily forested region of the national park. Experts believe this may be Florence’s third litter.
Once occupying vast territories spanning from the High Atlas mountains throughout the Middle East and India, the global lion population has dwindled to less than 25,000 individuals, with African populations experiencing a 50% decline in just two decades. In addition to habitat loss, the trade of lion bones – utilized for traditional medicine in Asia – has emerged as a mounting danger to the species.
In Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba, conservationists aim to bolster the lion population to 50 individuals by 2025 and 100 by 2030. The newly released footage of the lion cubs demonstrates that the park’s anti-poaching and surveillance initiatives, as well as its native wildlife inhabitants such as African wild dogs, spotted hyenas, western giant eland, and western hartebeest, are proving to be successful.
In addition to the cubs, scientists have also observed another lioness with porcupine quill injuries that would have been lethal without medical intervention. The quills were extracted, and the lioness is now thriving, providing hope for further expansion of the population.
