African lions used to be a common thing throughout Africa, but currently, just a small portion of the Africa’s lion population may be found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Tanzania is home to three of the world’s five biggest populations. In the last several decades, lions have vanished from 12 nations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Where does African Lions Live?
African lions live in what we call the savannah. Most of the land is covered with tall grass, with a few trees here and there. For the most part of the year, the weather is hot and humid, with just a brief period of rain.
Each pride has a designated region of land, or “territory,” in which it resides. The pride will defend its territory by engaging in combat with other lion prides. In the same way that our houses are vital to us, a lion’s territory is critical to him. It is the pride’s primary source of nourishment and water.
The amount of food in a region determines its size. Zebra, antelope, giraffe, and buffalo are all prey for lions. The lion’s prey is the term used to describe these creatures. It takes prides of lions a long time to discover their prey since the animals are so excellent at concealing. The wider the lion pride’s area, the more food they must go to get it.
As long as lions can survive without water, they do prefer to live near rivers where they can have fresh water at all times, particularly in the summer.
Lions can count, did you know that? They can, after all! Each lion roars to warn other lions to maintain their distance when a pride needs to protect its territory. However, the other lions aren’t naive.
Counting is all they need to decide whether to flee or fight. There are nine lions in excess of a pride of three that hears the roaring of 12 lions, so they leave.
Assuming there are only three lions in a group of 12, a 12-strong pride has an excellent probability of winning the battle.
Also Read: Interesting facts about African lions
Distinct Populations of African lions in Africa
There are three distinct populations of African lions: those in West and Central Africa (Angola, Benin and Burkina Faso), those in East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique), and those in Southern Africa (Zimbabwe and Botswana) (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland).
West and Central African Lions
There has been a dramatic drop in lion populations in West and Central Africa.
A study of 47 lion populations in Africa’s protected regions indicated that practically all of West and Central Africa’s lion populations had a 67% risk of decreasing by 50% during the next two decades.
In West Africa, around 500 lions are at risk of extinction, while in Central Africa, over 2,200 lions are at risk of extinction.
Bushmeat hunting by locals may have led to a reduction in the population.
As a result of the open systems seen in many of West and Central Africa’s game reserves, a rise in human-animal conflicts is possible.
It’s amazing to think that East Africa still has one of the continent’s greatest lion populations, despite a 57% decline in the region’s lion population.
Three out of the five greatest lion populations are found in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve.
According to available data, their numbers are either rising or barely dipping.
It’s possible that East African lion numbers might drop as much as 50% in the next two decades, according to some scientists.
They fear that the lion population will be decimated by a lack of sufficient protection and human population growth.
The number of African lions in the southern African nations of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe increased by around 43 percent.
There are many fewer lions in this area than there are elsewhere on the continent.
Many believe that southern Africa’s prosperity might be attributed to the way conservation areas are managed.
As an example, the lions in the region are housed in well-funded and well-maintained habitats. Animals and humans are both protected by fences.
Unfenced lion populations have shrunk by 62 percent in the last two decades, while enclosed populations have shrunk by 11 percent.
Many people feel that ecotourism and trophy hunting, in addition to fencing, are helpful for lion conservation. Trophy hunting, on the other hand, is divisive.
Mismanagement might lead to lion population declines. Increasing lion populations in southern Africa may be hindered by habitat degradation and lack of space.
Habitat for Lions from Africa
Grasslands, savannas, thick scrub, and open forests are among the preferred hunting grounds of lions.
The exceptions to this include tropical rainforests and deserts, where they may survive in any environment with adequate cover for denning and hunting.
Source Credit: wwf.org, lionalert.com, worldatlas.com