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During the World Conservation Congress at its 5th Session in Jeju, Republic of Korea, which will be held from 6-15th September 2012, a motion on large mammal conservation in West and Central Africa will be submitted.
Large mammal populations in protected areas in west and central Africa have declined by 85% between the period 1970 and 2005. Large carnivores like the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and Lion (Panthera leo) are now extirpated from many former range states in West and Central Africa, with evidence for only few reproducing populations in the region.
Studies revealing genetic distinctiveness of a number of large mammal species occurring in the region such as Lion, Roan Antelope, and Giraffe will be considered. LionAid supports this submission and urges the IUCN to urgently revise the official status of western and central African lions on their Red List (upgrading to “endangered” or more appropriately, “critically endangered”). In addition, we would urge CITES and the European Commission to carefully review any trade in western and central African lions including trophy hunting. Finally, LionAid would urge not only adoption of the motion, but formulation of a number of enactable Action Plans to substantially address and reverse these declines.
Picture credit: http://bit.ly/KDwZ39
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