Editing Lion (section)

==Conservation==
The lion is listed as [[Vulnerable species|Vulnerable]] on the [[IUCN Red List]]. The Indian population is listed on [[CITES Appendix I]] and the African population on [[CITES Appendix II]].<ref name="IUCN" />

===In Africa===
[[File:Lion.ogv|thumb|right|Video of a wild lioness]]

Several large and well-managed protected areas in Africa host large lion populations. Where an infrastructure for wildlife tourism has been developed, cash revenue for park management and local communities is a strong incentive for lion conservation.<ref name="IUCN" /> Most lions now live in East and Southern Africa; their numbers are rapidly decreasing, and fell by an estimated 30–50% in the late half of the 20th century. Primary causes of the decline include disease and human interference.<ref name=IUCN/> In 1975, it was estimated that since the 1950s, lion numbers had decreased by half to 200,000 or fewer.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Myers |first1=N. |year=1975 |title=The silent savannahs |journal=International Wildlife |volume=5 |issue=5 |pages=5–10 }}</ref> Estimates of the African lion population range between 16,500 and 47,000 living in the wild in 2002–2004.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bauer |first1=H. |last2=Van Der Merwe |first2=S. |year= 2002 |title=The African lion database |journal=Cat News |volume=36 |pages=41–53}}</ref><ref name=Chardonnet2002>{{Cite book |last=Chardonnet|first=P. |year=2002|title=Conservation of African lion |url=http://conservationforce.org/pdf/conservationoftheafricanlion.pdf |publisher=International Foundation for the Conservation of Wildlife|location=Paris, France |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110184540/http://conservationforce.org/pdf/conservationoftheafricanlion.pdf}}</ref>

In the [[Republic of the Congo]], [[Odzala-Kokoua National Park]] was considered a lion stronghold in the 1990s. By 2014, no lions were recorded in the protected area so the population is considered locally extinct.<ref name=carn>{{cite journal |last1=Henschel |first1=P. |last2=Malanda |first2=G.-A. |last3=Hunter |first3=L. |title=The status of savanna carnivores in the Odzala-Kokoua National Park, northern Republic of Congo |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |date=2014 |volume=95 |issue=4 |pages=882−892 |doi=10.1644/13-mamm-a-306  |doi-access=free }}{{open access}}</ref> The West African lion population is isolated from the one in Central Africa, with little or no exchange of breeding individuals. In 2015, it was estimated that this population consists of about 400 animals, including fewer than 250 mature individuals. They persist in three protected areas in the region, mostly in one population in the [[W National Park|W]] [[Arli National Park|A]] [[Pendjari National Park|P]] protected area complex, shared by [[Benin]], [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Niger]]. This population is listed as [[Critically Endangered]].<ref name=Henschel2015/> Field surveys in the [[W-Arly-Pendjari Complex|WAP ecosystem]] revealed that lion occupancy is lowest in the W National Park, and higher in areas with permanent staff and thus better protection.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Henschel |first1=P. |last2=Petracca |first2=L. S. |last3=Hunter |first3=L. T. |last4=Kiki |first4=M. |last5=Sewadé |first5=C. |last6=Tehou |first6=A. |last7=Robinson |first7=H. S. |year=2016 |title=Determinants of distribution patterns and management needs in a critically endangered lion ''Panthera leo'' population |journal=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |volume=4 |issue=4 |page=110 |doi=10.3389/fevo.2016.00110 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2016FrEEv...4..110H }}</ref>

A population occurs in Cameroon's [[Waza National Park]], where between approximately 14 and 21 animals persisted as of 2009.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tumenta |first1=P. N. |last2=Kok |first2=J. S. |last3=van Rijssel |first3=J. C. |last4=Buij |first4=R. |last5=Croes |first5=B. M. |last6=Funston |first6=P. J. |last7=de Iongh |first7=H. H. |last8=de Haes |first8=H. A. Udo |year=2009 |title=Threat of rapid extermination of the lion (''Panthera leo leo'') in Waza National Park, Northern Cameroon |journal=African Journal of Ecology |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2028.2009.01181.x |pages=1–7 |volume=48 |issue=4|hdl=1887/14372 |s2cid=56451273 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> In addition, 50 to 150 lions are estimated to be present in Burkina Faso's [[Arly-Singou]] ecosystem.<ref name="Bauer & van der Merwe">{{Cite journal |last1=Bauer |first1=H. |last2=Van Der Merwe |first2=S. |doi=10.1017/S0030605304000055 |title=Inventory of free-ranging lions ''Panthera leo'' in Africa |journal=Oryx |volume=38 |year=2004 |issue=1 |pages=26–31|doi-access=free }}</ref> In 2015, an adult male lion and a female lion were sighted in Ghana's [[Mole National Park]]. These were the first sightings of lions in the country in 39 years.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Angelici |first1=F. M. |last2=Rossi |first2=L. |year=2017 |title=Further lion, ''Panthera leo senegalensis'' Meyer, 1826, sightings in Mole National Park, Ghana, and possible first serval ''Leptailurus serval'' Schreber, 1776 record after 39 years (Mammalia Felidae) |journal=Biodiversity Journal |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=749–752 |url=http://www.biodiversityjournal.com/pdf/8(2)_749-752.pdf |access-date=9 March 2018 |archive-date=10 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074200/http://www.biodiversityjournal.com/pdf/8(2)_749-752.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the same year, a population of up to 200 lions that was previously thought to have been [[Local extinction|extirpated]] was filmed in the [[Alatash National Park]], Ethiopia, close to the Sudanese border.<ref name="NewScientist2016">{{cite magazine|magazine=New Scientist|last=Wong|first=S. |title=Hidden population of up to 200 lions found in remote Ethiopia|date=2016|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2075740-hidden-population-of-up-to-200-lions-found-in-remote-ethiopia/|access-date=2 February 2016|archive-date=1 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201230053/https://www.newscientist.com/article/2075740-hidden-population-of-up-to-200-lions-found-in-remote-ethiopia/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBC Ethiopian lion, 2016">{{cite news|date=2016|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35460573|title=Lions rediscovered in Ethiopia's Alatash National Park|publisher=BBC News|access-date=1 February 2016|archive-date=1 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201144220/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35460573|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2005, Lion Conservation Strategies were developed for West and Central Africa, and or East and Southern Africa. The strategies seek to maintain suitable habitat, ensure a sufficient wild prey base for lions, reduce factors that lead to further fragmentation of populations, and make lion–human coexistence sustainable.<ref>{{cite book |title=Conservation Strategy for the Lion West and Central Africa |publisher=IUCN |author=IUCN Cat Specialist Group |year=2006 |location=Yaounde, Cameroon |url=http://www.catsg.org/fileadmin/filesharing/3.Conservation_Center/3.4._Strategies___Action_Plans/African_lion/IUCN_CatSG_2006_West_and_Central_Africa_Lion_Conservation_Strategy.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919114530/http://www.catsg.org/fileadmin/filesharing/3.Conservation_Center/3.4._Strategies___Action_Plans/African_lion/IUCN_CatSG_2006_West_and_Central_Africa_Lion_Conservation_Strategy.pdf |archive-date=19 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=IUCN Cat Specialist Group |year=2006 |title=Conservation Strategy for the Lion ''Panthera leo'' in Eastern and Southern Africa |publisher=IUCN |location=Pretoria, South Africa |url=http://www.catsg.org/fileadmin/filesharing/3.Conservation_Center/3.4._Strategies___Action_Plans/African_lion/IUCN_CatSG_2006_East_and_South_Africa_Lion_Conservation_Strategy.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619001314/http://www.catsg.org/fileadmin/filesharing/3.Conservation_Center/3.4._Strategies___Action_Plans/African_lion/IUCN_CatSG_2006_East_and_South_Africa_Lion_Conservation_Strategy.pdf |archive-date=19 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> Lion depredation on livestock is significantly reduced in areas where herders keep livestock in improved enclosures. Such measures contribute to mitigating [[human–lion conflict]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Assessment and mitigation of human-lion conflict in West and Central Africa |author1=Bauer, H. |author2=de Iongh, H. |author3=Sogbohossou, E. |journal=Mammalia |year=2010 |volume=74 |issue=4 |pages=363–367 |doi=10.1515/MAMM.2010.048|s2cid=86228533 }}</ref>

===In Asia===
[[File:Lion Gir.jpg|thumb|A lioness in Gir National Park]]
The last refuge of the Asiatic lion population is the {{cvt|1412|km2}} Gir National Park and surrounding areas in the [[Saurashtra (region)|region of Saurashtra]] or [[Kathiawar Peninsula]] in Gujarat State, India. The population has risen from approximately 180 lions in 1974 to about 400 in 2010.<ref name="Singh, Gibson">{{Cite journal |last1=Singh | first1=H. S. |last2=Gibson |first2=L. |title=A conservation success story in the otherwise dire megafauna extinction crisis: The Asiatic lion (''Panthera leo persica'') of Gir forest |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=144 |issue=5 |pages=1753–1757 |year=2011 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2011.02.009| bibcode=2011BCons.144.1753S}}</ref> It is geographically isolated, which can lead to [[inbreeding]] and reduced [[genetic diversity]]. Since 2008, the Asiatic lion has been listed as [[Endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name=Breitenmoser2008/> By 2015, the population had grown to 523 individuals inhabiting an area of {{cvt|7000|km2}} in Saurashtra.<ref name=Venkataraman2016>{{cite book |author=Venkataraman, M. |year=2016 |chapter=Wildlife and human impacts in the Gir landscape |title=Human Animal Conflict in Agro-Pastoral Context: Issues & Policies |editor1=Agrawal, P. K. |editor2=Verghese, A. |editor3=Krishna, S. R. |editor4=Subaharan, K. |publisher=Indian Council of Agricultural Research |location=New Delhi |pages=32−40}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Singh, A. P. |year=2017 |title=The Asiatic Lion (''Panthera leo persica''): 50 Years Journey for Conservation of an Endangered Carnivore and its Habitat in Gir Protected Area, Gujarat, India |journal=Indian Forester |volume=143 |issue=10 |pages=993–1003}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Singh, H. S. |year=2017 |title=Dispersion of the Asiatic lion ''Panthera leo persica'' and its survival in human-dominated landscape outside the Gir forest, Gujarat, India |journal=Current Science |volume=112 |issue=5 |pages=933–940 |doi=10.18520/cs/v112/i05/933-940 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2017, about 650 individuals were recorded during the Asiatic Lion Census.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lion population roars to 650 in Gujarat forests|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Lion-population-roars-to-650-in-Gujarat-forests/articleshow/59907625.cms|author=Kaushik, H.|newspaper=The Times of India|date=2017|access-date=9 August 2017|archive-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808193821/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/lion-population-roars-to-650-in-gujarat-forests/articleshow/59907625.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

The presence of numerous human settlements close to Gir National Park resulted in conflict between lions, local people and their livestock.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=V. K. |last1=Saberwal |first2=J. P. |last2=Gibbs |first3=R. |last3=Chellam |first4=A. J. T. |last4=Johnsingh |title=Lion-Human Conflict in the Gir Forest, India |date=1994 |doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.1994.08020501.x |journal=Conservation Biology |issue=2 |volume=8 |pages=501–507|bibcode=1994ConBi...8..501S}}</ref><ref name=Venkataraman2016 /> Some consider the presence of lions a benefit, as they keep populations of crop damaging herbivores in check.<ref name=Meena2016>{{cite book |author=Meena, V. |year=2016 |chapter=Wildlife and human impacts in the Gir landscape |editor=Agrawal, P. K. |editor2=Verghese, A. |editor3=Radhakrishna, S. |editor4=Subaharan, K. |title=Human Animal Conflict in Agro-Pastoral Context: Issues & Policies |publisher=Indian Council of Agricultural Research |location=New Delhi}}</ref>

===Captive breeding===
[[File:India Animals.jpg|thumb|Captive male Asiatic lions in [[Sanjay Gandhi National Park]], India]]

Lions imported to Europe before the middle of the 19th century were possibly foremost Barbary lions from North Africa, or Cape lions from Southern Africa.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Barnett |first1=R. |last2=Yamaguchi |first2=N. |last3=Shapiro |first3=B. |last4=Nijman |first4=V. |year=2007 |title=Using ancient DNA techniques to identify the origin of unprovenanced museum specimens, as illustrated by the identification of a 19th century lion from Amsterdam |url=http://dpc.uba.uva.nl/cgi/t/text/get-pdf?c=ctz;idno=7602a02 |journal=Contributions to Zoology |volume=76 |issue=2 |pages=87–94 |access-date=27 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522041326/http://dpc.uba.uva.nl/cgi/t/text/get-pdf?c=ctz;idno=7602a02 |archive-date=22 May 2011 |url-status=dead |doi=10.1163/18759866-07602002 |s2cid=2131247}}</ref> Another 11 animals thought to be Barbary lions kept in [[Addis Ababa Zoo]] are descendants of animals owned by [[Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia|Emperor Haile Selassie]]. WildLink International in collaboration with [[Oxford University]] launched an ambitious International [[Barbary lion|Barbary Lion Project]] with the aim of identifying and breeding Barbary lions in captivity for eventual reintroduction into a national park in the [[Atlas Mountains]] of Morocco.<ref name="yamaguchi-haddane">{{Cite journal |last=Yamaguchi |first=N. |author2=Haddane, B. |year=2002 |title=The North African Barbary Lion and the Atlas Lion Project |journal=International Zoo News |volume=49 |pages=465–481}}</ref> However, a genetic analysis showed that the captive lions at Addis Ababa Zoo were not Barbary lions, but rather closely related to wild lions in Chad and Cameroon.<ref name="Bruche_al2012">{{Cite journal |last=Bruche |first=S. |author2=Gusset, M. |author3=Lippold, S. |author4=Barnett, R. |author5=Eulenberger, K. |author6=Junhold, J. |author7=Driscoll, C. A. |author8=Hofreiter, M. |title=A genetically distinct lion (''Panthera leo'') population from Ethiopia |journal=European Journal of Wildlife Research |year=2012 |pages=215–225 |doi=10.1007/s10344-012-0668-5 |volume=59 |issue=2 |s2cid=508478}}</ref>

In 1982, the [[Association of Zoos and Aquariums]] started a [[Species Survival Plan]] for the Asiatic lion to increase its chances of survival. In 1987, it was found that most lions in North American zoos were hybrids between African and Asiatic lions.<ref name=OBrien1987>{{cite journal |author1=O'Brien, S. J. |author2=Joslin, P. |author3=Smith, G. L. III |author4=Wolfe, R. |author5=Schaffer, N. |author6=Heath, E. |author7=Ott-Joslin, J. |author8=Rawal, P. P. |author9=Bhattacharjee, K. K. |author10=Martenson, J. S. |year=1987 |title=Evidence for African origins of founders of the Asiatic lion Species Survival Plan |journal=Zoo Biology |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=99–116 |doi=10.1002/zoo.1430060202 |url=http://dobzhanskycenter.bio.spbu.ru/pdf/sjop/MS129_O%27Brien_ZooBiol.pdf |access-date=25 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225092713/http://dobzhanskycenter.bio.spbu.ru/pdf/sjop/MS129_O%27Brien_ZooBiol.pdf |archive-date=25 February 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Breeding programs need to note origins of the participating animals to avoid cross-breeding different subspecies and thus reducing their conservation value.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Frankham |first1=R. |last2=Ballou |first2=J. |last3=Briscoe |first3=D. |title=Introduction to Conservation Genetics |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2009| isbn=978-0-521-70271-3 |location=Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid |edition=Second |chapter=Genetic management of Captive Populations |pages=430–452 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vLZKnsCk89wC&pg=PA437 |access-date=25 May 2019}}</ref> Captive breeding of lions was halted to eliminate individuals of unknown origin and [[Pedigree (animal)|pedigree]]. Wild-born lions were imported to American zoos from Africa between 1989 and 1995. Breeding was continued in 1998 in the frame of an African lion Species Survival Plan.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Daigle, C. L. |author2=Brown, J. L. |author3=Carlstead, K. |author4=Pukazhenthi, B. |author5=Freeman, E. W. |author6=Snider, R. J. |year=2015 |title=Multi-institutional survey of social, management, husbandry and environmental factors for the SSP African lion Panthera leo population: examining the effects of a breeding moratorium in relation to reproductive success |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=198–213 |doi=10.1111/izy.12073 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270901189}}</ref>

About 77% of the captive lions registered in the [[International Species Information System]] in 2006 were of unknown origin; these animals might have carried genes that are extinct in the wild and may therefore be important to the maintenance of the overall [[genetic variability]] of the lion.<ref name=BarnettYamaguchi2006>{{Cite journal |last1=Barnett |first1=R. |last2=Yamaguchi |first2 =N. |last3=Barnes | first3=I. |last4=Cooper |first4=A. |date=2006 |title=Lost populations and preserving genetic diversity in the lion ''Panthera leo'': Implications for its ''ex situ'' conservation |journal=Conservation Genetics |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=507–514 |doi=10.1007/s10592-005-9062-0 |bibcode=2006ConG....7..507B |s2cid=24190889 |url=http://abc.zoo.ox.ac.uk/Papers/consgen06_lion.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824064412/http://abc.zoo.ox.ac.uk/Papers/consgen06_lion.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 August 2006}}</ref>