‘More needs to be done to protect our lions’

IT has been six months since an an American dentist caused international uproar by killing Cecil, a famed lion which lived in Zimbabwe. Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota, provoked outrage in July last year when he shot the well-known lion. Cecil was lured outside the boundaries of Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park where Palmer, shot Cecil with a bow and arrow.

At the time, Palmer had to close his dental practice temporarily due to vociferous protests. Now the US plans to extend its endangered species protection to lions in Africa. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) around half of all lion hunting in Africa is conducted by Americans. According to data, more than 5 600 lions have been killed and imported by American hunters over the past decade.

It is hoped the move will place tighter restrictions on the import of lion trophies. Northglen News recently caught up with local wildlife photographer, Skye Meaker, whose picture, Vanishing Lions, which featured in the finals of the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ competition, brought attention to the plight of the continent’s lions. In recent months, Meaker has travelled to schools along the North Coast, speaking to local school pupils about his work and his aim to raise awareness for the plight of the animals in Africa.

“There’s two sides to this proposed move. One, it will place greater burden on hunters who hunt lions in Africa by restricting their movements. However, the flip side is it would drive illegal hunting, which is ongoing, but to much further heights. People are trying to save the rhino, however, the lion population is also dropping dramatically. Studies, suggest that African lion numbers have decreased by half since 1993.

“We also need to understand that the Americans aren’t the only ones hunting lions. I think while the move is positive, I’m more circumspect and would like to see legislature change around the world to protect them. Lions are only listed as vulnerable, rather than endangered, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. For me the lion is one of the most beloved species and is an irreplaceable part of our shared global heritage,” he said.

Meaker added that hunters ignored the consequences of killing male lions, by disregarding the impact on its pride, the environment and on tourism.

“We have to change the way we look at how we protect our animals. I will continue to highlight the plight of the lions and other animals, however, change needs to happen with countries around the world making a concerted effort to stop lion poaching,” he said.

In November last year, France banned the import of lion trophy parts, while Australia outlawed the import of lion trophies in March last year.