What kind of lions are endangered

Almost all lions are indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa , living here and there excluding the deserts and rainforests, apart from the Asiatic lion that inhabits one small region of India. Below, are six types of lions that are brave, fierce, and, in need of protection, in most cases. Unsurprisingly, they are generally seen in Uganda or Congo, though they are likely not from there.

Just like other lions, Northeast Congo Lions are enormous animals; males weigh around pounds while females weigh a little less than the male. Northeast Congo males also display very dark manes; some of the manes are even black.

Because they are cold-weather animals, they grow thick, dark, long-haired manes that touches their shoulders. Also known as Senegalese lions, West African lions Panthera leo senegalensis , are not that big in size and genetically different from other lions. They are also critically endangered. The Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica is a little bit smaller than African lions, and their manes are darker and shorter. While this population is currently healthy, it is still vulnerable to many risks.

Canine distemper virus, which lions can contract from encounters with dogs, has begun to affect this lion population. Last year, it killed 34 lions. This virus is very contagious and could wreak havoc on the lion population in a matter of weeks under the wrong circumstances. Also, if the Gir Forest burns or gets affected by some natural disaster, the population would be at risk because they have nowhere else to go. The next step for Indian lion conservation is to establish a second population somewhere else in the country.

This way, if one population faces a large setback, it can be helped by the second population. Eastern Africa is home to the majestic Serengeti plains. This landscape is the quintessential lion habitat. Unfortunately, lions are faring poorly in this region. Human-caused habitat loss drives much of the lion population decrease in this area. Lions also occasionally kill cattle.

Cattle ranchers become irritated by wildlife threatening their livelihood and resort to dealing with the problem themselves. More often than not, this means killing the lions that killed their cattle. Some governments try to reimburse cattle ranchers for their loses, but practices like this are difficult to successfully implement. As mentioned, canine distemper virus also threatens these lions. Fortunately, Eastern Africa has large protected areas.

Lions inside these areas seem to be faring okay, with populations only slightly declining. The real loses occurred in populations outside these protected areas, where human-lion conflict is more likely. Southern Africa has a little bit of good news for conservationists. This region has more money and tourism than other parts of Africa. As a result, parks have more resources to put towards conservation. These parks have installed fences to help keep lions inside and reduce human-lion conflict.

The density of people in Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana are 26, 2. True, sustainable conservation must happen through lifting front-line communities out of poverty and giving them an incentive to conserve, rather than threaten lions. The conservation community has failed in the past and currently by trying to exclude locals from their ancestral homelands to conserve wildlife. This led to general resentment towards wildlife, causing poaching and other undesirable actions.

This is the best rating available. This is both a hopeful and anxiety-provoking situation with no easy answers. If you want to practice conservation yourself, start closer to home rather than trying to save the lions. I will focus on the conservation status of four regions of lions that are currently alive. Browse Categories. Dinosaurs engaged in herd living much earlier than expected. Plant-based food consumption doubled in the last decade.

Staggering amount of wastewater impacts coastal ecosystems. Anti-inflammatory foods lower the risk of dementia. Powerful and majestic, the king of the beasts has no natural predators. Lions are the most sociable of all big cats. They live in groups called prides, which usually consist of related females and their cubs. Dominant males, with their flowing manes a sign of virility , fight to maintain breeding rights.

Three-quarters of African lion populations are in decline. On an early morning game drive in Ruaha National Park in Tanzania we discovered a lioness gently dozing on the banks of the river.

We sat and watched — just us and her. People and lions trying to co-exist in habitats under mounting pressure are increasingly coming into conflict. Three of the five largest populations are in Tanzania. Lions have disappeared from 12 sub-Saharan countries in recent decades.