Average of 22 lions killed in Etosha area per year
There were 698 lions killed by humans between 1980 and 2018 in the areas surrounding Etosha National Park – an average of 22 lions per year, although researchers say this number is likely an underestimate.A new study found there was no single reason behind the killings.
“It was environmental. It was cultural. It was climatic,” said Dipanjan Naha, lead author of the study and a researcher at both the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and the Ongava Research Centre in Namibia.
The study showed that the highest number of lion fatalities occurred during the cold, dry season from May to August. This is also the time when lions tend to cross the Etosha perimeter fence and move outside the park.
The study explained that when there is less available water, there is also less prey, leading lions to venture beyond the park boundaries. This brings them to livestock and game farms surrounding the park, which in turn leads to conflict with people.
“When lions move from Etosha to the neighbouring farms or communal lands, they encounter wild prey and livestock,” said Naha. “So, these lions think, ‘Maybe that is a good habitat for me to settle down in.’ But when they end up there, they get shot.”
Ecological traps
He said the areas around the park act like an ecological trap for lions.
“As soon as the lions get out of the park, they are in trouble with the farmers.”
According to the study, areas with denser vegetation saw fewer fatalities, as lions were able to hide better from humans. Younger males were more likely to be killed than females, as they are often pushed out of territories controlled by dominant prides.
The study also noted that the Etosha region experienced frequent droughts in the 1990s and 2000s, which led many farmers to switch from livestock to game farming. However, game farmers were less tolerant of lions due to the higher economic value of game animals.
According to the study, 70% of lion fatalities occurred on commercial farms. It found that, typically, people who kill lions are simply trying to protect their livelihoods.
“There has to be more integrated conservation where humans and wildlife can share spaces, but the negative impacts – whether it’s lions being killed or people’s livestock and livelihoods being threatened – are reduced,” Naha said.
He added that the presence of lions could actually benefit communities through tourism ventures, employment opportunities, and by helping monitor lions in the wild.
By identifying which areas are most impacted by human-lion conflict, policymakers could tailor their interventions to specific zones, improving the well-being of both the big cats and the people who live near them.