Frontiers in Conservation Science (Sep 2022)
Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations
- Matthew S. Becker,
- Matthew S. Becker,
- Joao Almeida,
- Colleen Begg,
- Laura Bertola,
- Christine Breitenmoser,
- Urs Breitenmoser,
- Peter Coals,
- Peter Coals,
- Paul Funston,
- Angela Gaylard,
- Rosemary Groom,
- Rosemary Groom,
- Philipp Henschel,
- Dennis Ikanda,
- Agostinho Jorge,
- Johan Kruger,
- Peter Lindsey,
- Peter Lindsey,
- Peter Lindsey,
- Howard Maimbo,
- Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema,
- Glynn Maude,
- Moreangels Mbizah,
- Moreangels Mbizah,
- Moreangels Mbizah,
- Susan M. Miller,
- Susan M. Miller,
- Edwin Mudongo,
- Henry Mwape,
- Thandiwe Mweetwa,
- Vincent Naude,
- Vincent Naude,
- Vincent R. Nyirenda,
- Andrew Parker,
- Daniel Parker,
- Craig Reid,
- Ashley Robson,
- Ed Sayer,
- SA Jeanetta Selier,
- SA Jeanetta Selier,
- Mwamba Sichande,
- Mwamba Sichande,
- Chuma Simukonda,
- Kenneth Uiseb,
- Vivienne L. Williams,
- Dennis Zimba,
- Luke Hunter
Affiliations
- Matthew S. Becker
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Matthew S. Becker
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
- Joao Almeida
- Mozambique Wildlife Alliance, Limpopo, Mozambique
- Colleen Begg
- Niassa Carnivore Project, Lichinga, Mozambique, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Laura Bertola
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Christine Breitenmoser
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group, Muri, Switzerland
- Urs Breitenmoser
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group, Muri, Switzerland
- Peter Coals
- School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Peter Coals
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Paul Funston
- African Lion Conservation, Cape Town, South Africa
- Angela Gaylard
- 0Conservation Development & Assurance Department, African Parks Network, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Rosemary Groom
- 1Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
- Rosemary Groom
- 2Range Wide Conservation Program for Cheetah and African Wild Dogs, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, United Kingdom
- Philipp Henschel
- 3Panthera, New York, NY, United States
- Dennis Ikanda
- 4Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Arusha, Tanzania
- Agostinho Jorge
- Niassa Carnivore Project, Lichinga, Mozambique, Rondebosch, South Africa
- Johan Kruger
- 5Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Polokwane, South Africa
- Peter Lindsey
- 6Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Peter Lindsey
- 7Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
- Peter Lindsey
- 8Wildlife Conservation Network, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Howard Maimbo
- 9Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
- Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema
- 0Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Glynn Maude
- 1Kalahari Research and Conservation, Hukuntsi, Botswana
- Moreangels Mbizah
- 2Wildlife Conservation Action, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Moreangels Mbizah
- 3Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Moreangels Mbizah
- 4Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
- Susan M. Miller
- 5DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Susan M. Miller
- 6Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Edwin Mudongo
- 7Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainably, Maun, Botswana
- Henry Mwape
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Thandiwe Mweetwa
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Vincent Naude
- School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Vincent Naude
- 8Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Vincent R. Nyirenda
- 9Department of Zoology and Aquatic Sciences, School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia
- Andrew Parker
- 0Conserve Global, London, United Kingdom
- Daniel Parker
- 1School of Biology and Environmental Science, University, Nelspruit, South Africa
- Craig Reid
- 0Conservation Development & Assurance Department, African Parks Network, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Ashley Robson
- 8Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Ed Sayer
- 2Frankfurt Zoological Society, North Luangwa Conservation Programme, Mpika, Zambia
- SA Jeanetta Selier
- 3South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
- SA Jeanetta Selier
- 4School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Mwamba Sichande
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Mwamba Sichande
- 5Conservation South Luangwa, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Chuma Simukonda
- 9Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
- Kenneth Uiseb
- 6Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Windhoek, Namibia
- Vivienne L. Williams
- School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Dennis Zimba
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Luke Hunter
- 7Wildlife Conservation Society, Big Cats Program, Bronx NY, United States
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2022.963961
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 3
Abstract
As the top predator in African ecosystems, lions have lost more than 90% of their historical range, and few countries possess strong evidence for stable populations. Translocations (broadly defined here as the capture and movement of lions for various management purposes) have become an increasingly popular action for this species, but the wide array of lion translocation rationales and subsequent conservation challenges stemming from poorly conceived or unsuitable translocations warrants additional standardized evaluation and guidance. At their best, translocations fill a key role in comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing the threats facing lions and fostering the recovery of wild populations in their historic range. At their worst, translocations can distract from addressing the major threats to wild populations and habitats, divert scarce funding from more valuable conservation actions, exacerbate conflict with humans in recipient sites, disrupt local lion demography, and undermine the genetic integrity of wild lion populations in both source and recipient sites. In the interest of developing best practice guidelines for deciding when and how to conduct lion translocations, we discuss factors to consider when determining whether a translocation is of conservation value, introduce a value assessment for translocations, and provide a decision matrix to assist practitioners in improving the positive and reducing the negative outcomes of lion translocation.
Keywords
