Only eight desert lions left
The sharp decline in Namibia’s desert lion population has taken another heartbreaking turn. Following the recent poisoning of a male lion known as Paratus near Tomakas, west of Sesfontein, only one male lion now remains in the Hoanib area: lion OPL 24, more commonly known as OB.According to Desert Lions Human Relations Aid (Delhra), a conservation organisation monitoring these lions, there are now just eight desert lions left along the entire Namibian coastline – six adults and two cubs. OB, originally from the Etendeka region and not strictly considered a "desert-adapted" lion, roams the lower Hoanib River down to the mouth of the Hoarusib River.
In this area, OB interacts with three lionesses – Alpha, Bravo and Delta (the daughter of Alpha) – as well as two cubs, who are believed to be his offspring with Bravo. He is also occasionally spotted with a lone lioness, XPL 150, the daughter of Little Tina, who was shot last year.
However, the future looks bleak. Three of the five remaining lionesses – Alpha, Bravo, and XPL 108 – are older and nearing the end of their breeding years. XPL 108 lives alone further south in the Skeleton Coast National Park. Tragically, she lost her last litter shortly before her companion, the male lion Mwezi, was shot in October 2023, labelled a "problem animal" and taken as a trophy.
In the absence of traditional prey, the remaining lions have turned to an unusual food source to survive: seals. This rare and striking behaviour is currently being monitored as part of a scientific study.
“No genetic diversity, no future,” warns Delhra. The gene pool among the remaining lions is now dangerously shallow, making it nearly impossible for the population to recover. With Paratus – likely poisoned – now gone, sightings of desert lions in the Hoanib area may soon be limited to just OB.
While drought is often blamed for the lions’ decline, Delhra believes human activities are the primary cause. Trophy hunting, poisonings, and a general lack of protection have all contributed to the species' precarious situation. The shooting of Mwezi, they argue, may have marked a tipping point – one from which the desert-adapted lions of Namibia may never recover.