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Lions
The killing of Cecil the lion by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park hit the headlines all over the world. But it is not only trophy hunters that are causing the massive decline in lion numbers. Like so many other species they are susceptible to limited food, habitat loss and forced to look for food on farmland, they are often targeted by farmers protecting their livestock.
...they are susceptible to limited food, habitat loss and forced to look for food on farmland
With an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 wild lions left in Africa today, these populations are often also isolated from each other in small groups. This can lead to inbreeding which weakens the genetic diversity, causing a higher death rate among cubs and these animals tend to have a weaker immune system.
