Uganda’s lion population is in danger, new survey finds

A national park in northwestern Uganda is the last stronghold for that nation’s lion population.

Elsewhere in the country, lions are in decline. Conversely, hyenas and other carnivore species are faring well.

Over 100 researchers collaborated to conduct a nation-wide survey of Uganda’s wildlife. Their results, which covered six protected areas in Uganda, is now public in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation.

The survey—led by Australia’s Griffith University, China’s Southern University of Science and Technology, and Northern Arizona University in the United States—is said to be the first wildlife survey conducted in Uganda in over two decades. The results are mixed.

Murchison Falls National Park is the last place in Uganda where populations of lions are holding up well. Everywhere else, researchers said they see signs that lion populations are declining.

“In places like Murchison Falls, we are seeing high densities of all three species, lions, hyenas, and leopards,” said Alexander Braczkowski, a researcher at Griffith University.

However, the authors said they see signs that lions are in trouble in other parts of the country.

“Lion numbers in the country are at a critical low while hyenas are faring well across four major protected areas in Uganda,” the authors said in a summary.

The survey focused on lions but also leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas. Animal population counts happened in Murchison Falls, the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, and Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve.

In three of those areas, the scientists said they’ve concluded that lions are “locally extinct.” Lion numbers are “precariously low” in two other parks. The sole exception was Murchison Falls National Park.

At seven individual lions per 100 square kilometers, the researchers say Murchison Falls boasts a strong population density.

That park also hosts a healthy population of leopards, “some of the highest in Africa,” the authors said. They credit strong conservation measures and anti-poaching initiatives at the park for the abundance and diversity of wildlife at Murchison Falls.

Given the low numbers of lions encountered in other parks, however, the authors warn that poaching continues to take a toll on these iconic predators in Uganda. More should be done to ensure their survival throughout the country, they said.

“The near 50% decline of Uganda’s most iconic population—the Tree Climbing Lions of Queen Elizabeth—should herald a call for long-term commitments of conservation action that has a clear goal of population recovery, rather than conserving the status quo,” they wrote.

The team says their findings should help inform Uganda’s wildlife managers as the nation rolls out conservation actions in accordance with its new 10-year Strategic Action Plan for Large Carnivore Conservation.

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