Kunene lions’ condition improves

ELLANIE SMIT WINDHOEKOver the past four years, the environment ministry has approved and undertaken the translocation of 14 lions from the Kunene Region in an effort to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and the dire conditions the lions were facing.Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta told Namibian Sun that the region has over the past decade not received good rains and this has had a serious impact on the desert-adapted lion population.“The prevailing drought conditions has caused a significant increase in human-lion conflict and during 2021, reports were received from the region that the condition of some of the lions had dramatically decreased.”He said this was caused by the low density of preferred prey species for the lions and the prevailing drought conditions.Earlier this year, shocking videos circulated on social media about the emaciated and starving lions in the Ugab area of Kunene.According to Shifeta, all 14 lions have been translocated to the N/aankuse Foundation’s Timbila and Zannier reserves. ImprovementIn 2018, four lions - three females and one male - were translocated to the Tsiseb Conservancy, while the following year a female lion and two males were translocated to the Torra Conservancy.Last year, two female lions and a male were translocated to the Anabeb Conservancy.Meanwhile, this year three female lions and a male were translocated to the Huab Conservancy while a male was also translocated to the Tsiseb Conservancy.Shifeta said the condition of the Kunene lions has improved within the past two months and this is because of their natural preferred prey species that slowly started to return to the river systems within the respective areas.The lion population in the country currently stands at approximately 800, which includes animals in national parks, conservancies and those privately owned.

Kunene lions’ condition improves

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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Kunene lions’ condition improves

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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