Is enough being done in order to keep a steady trend of the once falling population of the endangered Asiatic Lion (Panthera Leo Persica) or should they be left to die as they are only a subspecies?
The Asiatic Lion or sometimes referred to as the Indian Lion is a sub species of Lions derived from breeding between the lion in North Africa and South-West Asia, “which formerly stretched across the coastal forests of northern Africa and from northern Greece across south-west Asia to eastern India1”. The Asiatic Lion is currently situated in India’s Gujuat State, “numbering approximately 175 mature individuals, all occurring within one subpopulation1” – According to Red List. The Asiatic Lions exist mainly in the sanctuary of Gir Forest, in
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This may suggest their trail to extinction is more applicable and that a solution to letting them die out is necessary. Furthermore, the Asiatic Lions lack of skill to hunt puts a threat on local farmers as the easiest way for the Lions to retrieve food is to hunt down captivated livestock which is a threat on the production and distribution of the commodity itself2.
It is a very problematic and controversial issue whether to keep the species alive or to let them die out. It may be that the lions are doing more harm than good, such as the killing of livestock and the lack of ability to hunt. Although the current population of the lions are steady with only 300 left in the wild and 200 captivated in zoos around the world, is it worth the high costs and the chain of problems that the lions are causing to locals to keep a species that is on its way to extinction to keep alive? Or is it better to let them die out and focus on a more critically endangered species causing fewer issues?
Main Solution – Ex-situ selective breeding programmes with use of studbooks.
One way to protect the Asiatic Lion is by using an ex-situ selective breeding programme. There are currently 200 Asiatic lions in zoos worldwide and even if the wild Lions were to become extinct, there would still be enough breeding programmes in zoos, in order to avoid a fully extinct
The only way to stop the manslaughter of endangered species is to have everyday people and governments take interest and action to save our environment and help endangered species by protecting them and their habitats. We need to stop the killing of animals and destruction of their habitats. Without meaningful governmental support to maintain the environment and save endangered species, we will not have a way or real means of stopping the extinction of animals. We need laws and penalties to stop the slaughter of animals. I picked to research the Bengal tiger which is an endangered species. “It is the most numerous of all tiger subspecies with more than 2,500 left in the wild.(worldwildlifepg1) ”.
Animals kept in zoos has always been a controversial decision. Zoos have been around for 4,000 years. Many people argue about the impact a zoo has on an animal and the world. According to the article, ”Zoos: The Historical Debate”, “Some people argue that zoos play an important role in conservation of endangered animals, others say that zoos do more harm than good.” I believe that zoos play an important role in conservation. They also educate us about animals. Finally, zoos entertain us in many ways. In my opinion, zoos impact the world in a good way.
We have written this paper to gain insight on lions in captivity and establish the differences between lions in the wild and in zoos. The paper will focus on the mental, behavioural and physical effects, while also stating how zoos are involved in conservation.
There is no doubt that iconic African species are in serious trouble -- lion numbers have nearly halved in 20 years, and as we estimate that only around 24,000 remain, lions are now as rare as rhinos in Africa, and 15 times rarer than elephants .
A century ago, the lion population of Africa thrived as these animals were able to roam freely across the continent. However, owing to a multitude of factors such as poaching, trophy killings, loss of habitat area and conflicts with humans- the population of the African lion today is just 10% of what it once was. The need to address this rapid decline in lion populations is vital in ensuring that these animals are present for future generations to enjoy, whilst not impeding the access for the current generation. Lions, being a non-market public good without well-defined property rights results in society’s inability in managing this resource effectively (Shogren and Taylor, 2008); to overcome this, a market must be established which
South Africa has been an attraction for tourist hunters from the USA and Europe for decades. Its concept, a grim reality. Young lion cubs are taken from their mothers at birth. They are then raised by hand and bred in captivity, as commodities, for the sole purpose of being targeted in an enclosed hunting ground, where they have no chance to evade their hunters. Often times they are drugged or even baited with food.
In the editorial " The Death of Cecil the Lion " The Editorial Bored discusses the death of a black-maned lion who was illegally killed by a American hunter in Zimbabwe. The board is clearly stating " Hunting in Africa does not hold the allure it may have had in Teddy Roosevelt's day. And Cecil was no ordinary cat. ", so the board is not happy with the lion's death because they feel like times have changed and we need to stop hunting. They also state that hunters are not the main reason that the species big and small are vanishing they believe it is a vanishing habitat. I most unquestionably agree with them because these species of lions have become rare sight in the wild. A century ago we could probably see close to 200,000 lions in the
The case of the mountain lion P-45 is complex for two reasons. On one hand, he has killed several domestic animals in the Santa Monica Mountains leading people to fear for their property and themselves. On the other, he provides a much-needed new gene flow into an area that suffers from severe inbreeding that could lead to the population entering an extinction vortex. I will argue that P-45 should be left in the Santa Monica Mountains ecosystem and later relocated only when two conditions have been met because it would adhere to the ecocentric principle of conserving the biotic community. The first condition is that the wildlife corridor must be constructed across 101 Freeway, connecting the isolated area with those other mountain lions inhabit.
They see the killing of the lion as immoral and wrong and suggest the relocation of mountain lions to save them from being show; however, the department of fish and game which uses science and knowledge of cougar behavioral patterns have determined simply relocating the mountain lions will not be successful in saving both the mountain lion and the sheep. Mountain lions have large territories, so moving one would potentially place it into another lion’s territory, causing them to become aggressive towards each other, ultimately ending in one killing the other. Also, even if a cougar is brought one hundred miles away from the sheep, it would be fully capable of relocating its former territory, thus allowing it to hunt the sheep again (Meadows, 1999). In order to prevent the two lions from fighting and potentially injuring each other or killing each other, so two lions die, and to ensure that the bighorn sheep are safe from predation, a single lion must be culled. It is the best alternative that will lead to the greatest chances of survival for the bighorn sheep
Cecil’s death was hard for everyone to understand and most people still haven’t gotten over it. Cecil, male, was killed at the age of 13 on July 1st 2015, which is old for a lion since an average adult age is 3-8 years-old. The hunter that killed Cecil was American Dr. Walter James Palmer who would go Big Game Hunting very commonly. Palmer killed Cecil by luring him away from the sanctuary, Hwange Game Reserve, and shot him with a bow and arrow, skinned him, then to make it worse, he decapitated him. Ever since Cecil’s death, Dr. Palmer has been nowhere to be found and protesters had even rioted outside of his
Lions don't have a specific place to live, they mainly roam their habitat freely. The habitat of an African Lion is Sub-Saharan Africa. Biomes like the Savanna, Open Woodland, and Scrub. It is a wet and dry climate, meaning it has a wet season, and a dry season. They mainly use the grass and rocks
With all the hubbub that has emerged from the recent Cecil the lion controversy, I would like to make it clear that trophy hunting cannot end. Even by limiting the amount of animals that can be hunted, especially the lions, an off balance occurs, and the African countries are put in a weaker position than before. Life is hard in Africa. There are threats most Americans cannot even imagine. Americans that are over eight thousand, eight hundred, and ninety-nine miles away should not be making decisions that serve to cater to social liberalists that don’t actually know the circumstances within the far off continent. Even the act of listing the lion as endangered would cause the trophy hunting
To begin with trophy hunting should not be allowed. The animals should be protected. In Junior Scholastic it say that “A million people have signed a petition asking Zimbabwe to stop issuing hunting permits to kill animals .” In the Associated Press passage it states that “ Only 20,000 lions are left in the wild.” Animals can’t protect themselves so humans should help protect them.
Majestic, noble, and brave, this famous iconic wild animal on the planet has captivated the people since the beginning of time. They are most feared by other animals thus, known as the king of the jungle – no other than the lions. Member of the genus Panthera, the lion is one of the big cats in the Felidae family. A lion’s head and body size average about 4.5 to 6.5 feet and tail of about 26 to 40 inches in length. A lion also weighs about 265 up to 420 pounds and a size relative to a 6-foot human. These mammals are also carnivores. Lions have always seen hunting in groups called pride. While lions generally avoid a full-grown elephant, lions still prefer their preys large like the zebras, buffaloes, and giraffes. Poised as the top animal in the ecological pyramid, lions have strong physical qualities, fascinating reputation, and an unfortunate decreasing number of population.
Kenya is a country east of Africa with a population with about 45 million people living in it today. The capital of the city is Nairobi it is a popular city known for its national wildlife park. In an article called, “A Kenyan Teen’s Discovery: Let There Be Lights to Save the Lions” written by Nina Gregory, the author states, “Through many efforts have been made to protect the Lions in the area, when the lions kill the local livestock some residents respond by killing the big cats.” At night Lions would come poke