Lion

    The mighty lion lives on the African savanna. However, the King of the savanna is threatened. The numbers of lions are decreasing, and they have vanished from 80% of the areas they once roamed.

    100 years ago, there were around 200 000 lions in Africa. Today, the exact number is unknown but there might be as few as 30 000 left. A big problem for lions is that today they are scattered around vast areas, and it might be hard for individuals to establish prides and mate. There are lions in 28 countries, but most of the countries have less than 1000 lions each.

    The habitats are decreasing in size

    A big threat to lions is the fact that their habitats are decreasing and both lions and their prey animals are hunted by humans. Lions are sometimes shot when they attack cattle or humans.

    Monitoring and documentation of West African lions

    The Kolmården Foundation funds a project working on the monitoring and documentation of West African lions in order to protect and strengthen the endangered population in Nikolo-Koba National Park, Senegal. Among other things, lions are provided with transmitter collars, to be able to follow them and collect information. Faecal samples from lions and other large predators are also analyzed to map feeding habits and the competition between the animals. In addition, data collection camera traps are set up, so that individual lions can be identified by analyzing whisker patterns, as well as the marks and scars they may have on their bodies. Kolmården's donation goes, among other things, to electronic equipment for monitoring, field equipment, camping equipment, and vehicle material.
    Surveys in recent years show that the number of lions in the area has doubled since 2011 and that the area in the park that the lions use has increased by 30%.

    Contributions

    During 2023, the following efforts have been carried out:

    • 30 km of new roads have been built and 200 km of roads have been renovated. This allows the mobile park ranger units to quickly access illegal (gold) mining sites and poaching hotspots.
    • An aviation unit to enable quick interventions in the event of incidents has been established.
    • The mobile park ranger units in the park have increased by 3 units.
    • A new action plan to prevent trade in wild animals and animal parts, as well as a plan for firefighting in the park, has been drawn up.
    • Park rangers have been trained in environmental and human rights laws, as well as in techniques and working methods to counter poaching.