EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: News24
A conservationist says the lion population has increased in a major wildlife park in Mozambique partly because heavy poaching of elephants has provided the carnivores with a bounty of carcasses to eat.
Conservationist Colleen Begg said in an email to The Associated Press that lions in Niassa National Reserve are “getting huge amounts of meat” from dead elephants as well as calves that are easy prey after poachers kill adult elephants.
Begg of the Niassa Carnivore Project states that surveys place the number of lions in Niassa in northern Mozambique at between 950 and 1,200 in 2012, which shows a significant increase over the last decade. Another count will be conducted this year.
The increase in the number of lions in Niassa contrasts with declines in lion populations elsewhere in Africa.
To comment on this story: Download our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC:
- Travel with us. Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early / late and a few kilometres off course and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity? Browse our famous packages for experience-based safaris, search for our current special offers and check out our camps & lodges for the best prices.
- Subscribe to our FREE newsletter / download our FREE app to enjoy the following benefits.
