Why the roar will soon go silent

By Alex Kiprotich

A lion’s roar is thunderous. Its sight humbles even the elephant. Many tourists have flocked Kenya’s parks to catch a glimpse of the famed king of the jungle.

Sadly, the king is in trouble. A conservation crisis is ravaging the parks as experts warn that lion is endangered.

Kenya Wildlife Service Senior Scientist in charge of Species Programme Charles Musyoki said the lion is losing its kingdom thanks to the destruction of habitats.

Dr Musyoki said the national lion population has reduced significantly in the last ten years.

"The national lion population has been reducing by an average of 100 lions yearly and it is a cause of worry," he said.

Habitat loss, he noted, has contributed to too little hunting space for lions to survive.

"People have encroached into wildlife territories thus reducing hunting space for lions," he said.

Early this year, five lions killed four cows at Oloolaimutiak in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Residents slaughtered three of the cows and laced the carcasses with poison to lure the lions to their death. And the trick worked. An eight-month-old lion was later found dead just 100 metres away from the carcass.

"This is common especially in Laikipia and in other game reserves which border pastoralists," he said.

Human-wildlife conflict has increased due to the drought ravaging parts of the country.

"The contact between lions and the people have increased over the years and has manifested into deadly clashes," he said. Human encroachment on reserves has led to the gradual decline of other wild animals that lions feed on.

"Food for lions have declined because of the habitat loss," he said. The population of lions has dropped from 2,749 in 2002 to 2,000 today.

Iconic animals

"This is very worrying since the lion is regarded as the most iconic animal of all the wildlife in the jungle," he said. According to records by the KWS, Masai Mara and Nairobi Park lead with 825 lions each followed by Tsavo, which has 675.

In Laikipia, there are 230 while Isiolo/Samburu complex and Northern Kenya has 100 lions each.

Meru Conservation Area has 40 and Aberdare region prides itself with 30.

Musyoki said most of the lions are killed while few die of hunger.

The KWS Communication Manager Paul Udoto said the country stands to lose a lot if the killing trend continues.

"Kenya is a haven for the big five and a loss of one of the animals will spell doom to the tourist sector," he said. He said following the dwindling population of lions, tourists don’t spot them easily. The lion’s importance is so great that it is in the coat of arms to symbolise the country’s strength.

Many organisations also use lion images in their logos.

"Quick action needs to be taken to create public awareness as well as formulation of national guidelines on lion conservation and management in the long-term," Udoto said.

He said KWS has taken a number of steps to protect lions.

"We have embarked on measures including monitoring lion movements and creating public awareness on the need to conserve the animals," he said. Musyoki KWS has also formulated a comprehensive national lion conservation and management strategy to be launched next month.

"We are drafting a lion conservation strategy that will help in safeguarding them in the long-term," he said.