African lions are endangered species now. Although the population is still about 35,000, this number is critically low revel. About 15 years ago South Africa only had 15,000 of them, but now fewer than 2,000 remain. Recently it was found that West African lions are genetically different from other African lions. Nevertheless only about 250 adults barely survive in West Africa countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.

The reason of lion disappearance is more or less same in all region of Africa. Growing human population and agricultural development cause conflict with lions. There is simply not enough space for both of them. Consequently in Botswana and Kenya numerous lions got killed by poisoned meat. Poisoning is worst way of killing because other carnivores such as hyenas and cheetahs are also killed with poisoned meat. Vultures died from poison by eating carcass of lions as well. The collateral damage is inevitable and affects all kinds of carnivore.

We cannot blame on whom spread poison food, since lions eat their livestock such as sheep, goat, and cattle farmers are suffered too. They retaliate to protect their asset against lions. But lions have their own problem to survive. Not only livestock are easy meal for lions but also not enough wild preys are available for them. The quality of meat also degrades because livestock lose weight by pressure from lions. Nevertheless some skillful farmers successfully minimize their loss. Usually lions attack livestock during the night. They cause panic among cattle and cattle burst out of enclosure. Then lions get cattle in the bush. To break this lions’ tactics the material that used for enclosure is very important. Thorne bush is very effective for a pen and the gate must be made of timber. If some people closely stayed at enclosure, lions would not approach. Also dogs are effective for warning sign of lion presence.

On the other hand there are lions who never assault livestock. They usually reproduce their offspring more successfully than livestock-eating lions do. However exact reason of difference between those two types of lions is unknown. Some say that sub adults are likely attack livestock while others say that lions who remember the taste of livestock meat become ones. Meanwhile it seems that lion-attacks occur depend on the migration pattern of prey.

Despite of many wildlife conservation area are established throughout Africa, managing those is not easy task. Now poachers target at loins’ bones as substitute for tigers’ bones that are considered as medicine in China. However quite few rangers must cover vast area. Besides lions live in outside of those area are as important as lions inside. Without them lions inside have difficulty to keep their genetic diversity. Whereas lions outside is more vulnerable than lions inside.

Above all the fact we must not forget is that most African countries export their agricultural products to developed countries such as U.S., E.U., Japan and China.