Population size and social structure of lions in a west African protected area
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
Population size and social structure of lions in a west African protected area. / Gueye, Malle; Pellaton, Raoul; Van Cauteren, Dorien; Mengual, Lisa; Van Dongen, Stefan; Leirs, Herwig; Bertola, Laura D.; Faye, Papa Mor; Diop, Babacar; Diop, Maniang Mamadoune; Kanté, Abdoulaye; de Iongh, Hans.
In: African Journal of Ecology, Vol. 62, No. 1, e13226, 2024.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Population size and social structure of lions in a west African protected area
AU - Gueye, Malle
AU - Pellaton, Raoul
AU - Van Cauteren, Dorien
AU - Mengual, Lisa
AU - Van Dongen, Stefan
AU - Leirs, Herwig
AU - Bertola, Laura D.
AU - Faye, Papa Mor
AU - Diop, Babacar
AU - Diop, Maniang Mamadoune
AU - Kanté, Abdoulaye
AU - de Iongh, Hans
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - To inform the conservation of the Regionally Critically Endangered West African lion, we studied lion population size and social structure in Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP), Senegal. Calling station and camera trap surveys were conducted and opportunistic lion observations were documented from 2015 to 2020. The average lion density was calculated as 0.50 lion/100 km2 and the population size was estimated as 28–56 individuals. Average lion group size was 2.1 ± 1.45 lions (range 1–8 lions). There were no significant differences between observations of single individuals (43%), groups of two (22%), three (19%), four (4%) and more than four (5%) individual lions (X2 = 30.021, p-value = 0.06452). Sex ratio showed a ratio of male:female of 1:1.1 to 1:2.8. About 13.59% of the lion population was composed of cubs while, respectively, 81.22% and 5.17% were adults and subadults. Based on the analysis of activity patterns, lions in NKNP are mainly nocturno-crepuscular (18:00–01:00) and matutinal (06:00–08:00). Lion population size and density are still low in NKNP compared to earlier estimates from the same area, in the late 1990s. We therefore conclude that the conservation of lions in NKNP must be further improved to safeguard this population in the long term.
AB - To inform the conservation of the Regionally Critically Endangered West African lion, we studied lion population size and social structure in Niokolo Koba National Park (NKNP), Senegal. Calling station and camera trap surveys were conducted and opportunistic lion observations were documented from 2015 to 2020. The average lion density was calculated as 0.50 lion/100 km2 and the population size was estimated as 28–56 individuals. Average lion group size was 2.1 ± 1.45 lions (range 1–8 lions). There were no significant differences between observations of single individuals (43%), groups of two (22%), three (19%), four (4%) and more than four (5%) individual lions (X2 = 30.021, p-value = 0.06452). Sex ratio showed a ratio of male:female of 1:1.1 to 1:2.8. About 13.59% of the lion population was composed of cubs while, respectively, 81.22% and 5.17% were adults and subadults. Based on the analysis of activity patterns, lions in NKNP are mainly nocturno-crepuscular (18:00–01:00) and matutinal (06:00–08:00). Lion population size and density are still low in NKNP compared to earlier estimates from the same area, in the late 1990s. We therefore conclude that the conservation of lions in NKNP must be further improved to safeguard this population in the long term.
KW - activity pattern
KW - age
KW - calling station
KW - camera traps
KW - distribution
KW - estimating
KW - sex ratio
U2 - 10.1111/aje.13226
DO - 10.1111/aje.13226
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85176609708
VL - 62
JO - African Journal of Ecology
JF - African Journal of Ecology
SN - 1365-2028
IS - 1
M1 - e13226
ER -
ID: 374402017