Review of Lion Hearted, by Andrew Loveridge
This book is written by a biologist who has spent years collecting first-hand information on how trophy hunting and other human activities affect the lion population in and around Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.
Some people claim that trophy hunting can benefit wildlife conservation, however these claims are based on assumptions of how trophy hunting is “supposed” to work. Loveridge and his team at Hwange have observed, measured, and recorded the actual results there time and time again. They were able to see that the shooting of one male breeding lion started a chain reaction that led to most if not all of his pride being wiped out (his male coalition partner, females, and cubs).
This chain reaction is due to the complex social structure of lion society, where the killing of one lion inevitably leads to the deaths of others, especially where the lion killed is a male or a dominant female – the targets of trophy hunters. The male coalition partner, unable to hold a pride by himself, is killed by rival males, the females flee with their cubs to avoid the complete infanticide that accompanies takeovers, and often they end up seeking refuge outside the park on land used by locals for grazing their animals. The lions then hunt the grazing animals, prompting huge financial losses for local farming families who are already living hand to mouth, and this leads to confrontations between locals and lions, with deaths on both sides. Loveridge has spoken to hundreds of locals around Hwange, most of whom are fine with having the lions as neighbours as long as they don’t cause problems, and found that only 4.5% of farmers received money from trophy-hunting revenues: a one-time payment averaging $40. Meanwhile, families are losing well over $100 a year in livestock killed by lions driven out of the national park.
He has found that there are actually far fewer lions than were previously thought, some being counted three or four times in censuses due to their ranges being much larger than people realized (thousands of kilometres). As a result, more trophy hunting was allowed than the population could sustain and, given the far-ranging consequences of killing even one male, lions were being wiped out in Hwange, a fact that was lost due to a lack of understanding about how lion society operates and due to most trophy hunters and the guides that host them being from outside Zimbabwe, arriving and leaving without witnessing the consequences of their actions on the local environment and communities - lion and human.
This is an important book to read, with ideas about conservation and first-hand scientific data presented within engaging stories, that shows the true impact of killing “one” lion for sport.Lion Hearted: The Life and Death of Cecil the Future of Africa's Iconic Cats
Some people claim that trophy hunting can benefit wildlife conservation, however these claims are based on assumptions of how trophy hunting is “supposed” to work. Loveridge and his team at Hwange have observed, measured, and recorded the actual results there time and time again. They were able to see that the shooting of one male breeding lion started a chain reaction that led to most if not all of his pride being wiped out (his male coalition partner, females, and cubs).
This chain reaction is due to the complex social structure of lion society, where the killing of one lion inevitably leads to the deaths of others, especially where the lion killed is a male or a dominant female – the targets of trophy hunters. The male coalition partner, unable to hold a pride by himself, is killed by rival males, the females flee with their cubs to avoid the complete infanticide that accompanies takeovers, and often they end up seeking refuge outside the park on land used by locals for grazing their animals. The lions then hunt the grazing animals, prompting huge financial losses for local farming families who are already living hand to mouth, and this leads to confrontations between locals and lions, with deaths on both sides. Loveridge has spoken to hundreds of locals around Hwange, most of whom are fine with having the lions as neighbours as long as they don’t cause problems, and found that only 4.5% of farmers received money from trophy-hunting revenues: a one-time payment averaging $40. Meanwhile, families are losing well over $100 a year in livestock killed by lions driven out of the national park.
He has found that there are actually far fewer lions than were previously thought, some being counted three or four times in censuses due to their ranges being much larger than people realized (thousands of kilometres). As a result, more trophy hunting was allowed than the population could sustain and, given the far-ranging consequences of killing even one male, lions were being wiped out in Hwange, a fact that was lost due to a lack of understanding about how lion society operates and due to most trophy hunters and the guides that host them being from outside Zimbabwe, arriving and leaving without witnessing the consequences of their actions on the local environment and communities - lion and human.
This is an important book to read, with ideas about conservation and first-hand scientific data presented within engaging stories, that shows the true impact of killing “one” lion for sport.Lion Hearted: The Life and Death of Cecil the Future of Africa's Iconic Cats
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