Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations
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...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Conservation Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2022.963961/full |
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| author | 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 |
| author_facet | 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 |
| author_sort | Matthew S. Becker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T23:35:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ff5cef867ca4bad8e0c25d9b3bfe6d8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-611X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T23:35:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Conservation Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ff5cef867ca4bad8e0c25d9b3bfe6d82022-12-22T03:12:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Conservation Science2673-611X2022-09-01310.3389/fcosc.2022.963961963961Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocationsMatthew S. Becker0Matthew S. Becker1Joao Almeida2Colleen Begg3Laura Bertola4Christine Breitenmoser5Urs Breitenmoser6Peter Coals7Peter Coals8Paul Funston9Angela Gaylard10Rosemary Groom11Rosemary Groom12Philipp Henschel13Dennis Ikanda14Agostinho Jorge15Johan Kruger16Peter Lindsey17Peter Lindsey18Peter Lindsey19Howard Maimbo20Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema21Glynn Maude22Moreangels Mbizah23Moreangels Mbizah24Moreangels Mbizah25Susan M. Miller26Susan M. Miller27Edwin Mudongo28Henry Mwape29Thandiwe Mweetwa30Vincent Naude31Vincent Naude32Vincent R. Nyirenda33Andrew Parker34Daniel Parker35Craig Reid36Ashley Robson37Ed Sayer38SA Jeanetta Selier39SA Jeanetta Selier40Mwamba Sichande41Mwamba Sichande42Chuma Simukonda43Kenneth Uiseb44Vivienne L. Williams45Dennis Zimba46Luke Hunter47Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, ZambiaDepartment of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United StatesMozambique Wildlife Alliance, Limpopo, MozambiqueNiassa Carnivore Project, Lichinga, Mozambique, Rondebosch, South AfricaDepartment of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkInternational Union for the Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group, Muri, SwitzerlandInternational Union for the Conservation of Nature/Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group, Muri, SwitzerlandSchool of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaWildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomAfrican Lion Conservation, Cape Town, South Africa0Conservation Development & Assurance Department, African Parks Network, Johannesburg, South Africa1Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom2Range Wide Conservation Program for Cheetah and African Wild Dogs, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, United Kingdom3Panthera, New York, NY, United States4Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Arusha, TanzaniaNiassa Carnivore Project, Lichinga, Mozambique, Rondebosch, South Africa5Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Polokwane, South Africa6Department of Zoology and Entomology, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa7Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia8Wildlife Conservation Network, San Francisco, CA, United States9Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia0Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Harare, Zimbabwe1Kalahari Research and Conservation, Hukuntsi, Botswana2Wildlife Conservation Action, Harare, Zimbabwe3Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland4Sustainability Research Unit, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa5DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa6Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa7Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainably, Maun, BotswanaZambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, ZambiaZambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, ZambiaSchool of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa8Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa9Department of Zoology and Aquatic Sciences, School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia0Conserve Global, London, United Kingdom1School of Biology and Environmental Science, University, Nelspruit, South Africa0Conservation Development & Assurance Department, African Parks Network, Johannesburg, South Africa8Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa2Frankfurt Zoological Society, North Luangwa Conservation Programme, Mpika, Zambia3South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa4School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South AfricaZambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia5Conservation South Luangwa, Mfuwe, Zambia9Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia6Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Windhoek, NamibiaSchool of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaZambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia7Wildlife Conservation Society, Big Cats Program, Bronx NY, United StatesAs 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2022.963961/fulllion translocationcarnivoreshuman-wildlife conflictlivestock-depredationmanagementpolicy |
| spellingShingle | 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 Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations Frontiers in Conservation Science lion translocation carnivores human-wildlife conflict livestock-depredation management policy |
| title | Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations |
| title_full | Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations |
| title_fullStr | Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations |
| title_short | Guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of African lion (Panthera leo) translocations |
| title_sort | guidelines for evaluating the conservation value of african lion panthera leo translocations |
| topic | lion translocation carnivores human-wildlife conflict livestock-depredation management policy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2022.963961/full |
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