CoP17 Prop. 4

Transfer of African populations of African Lion Panthera leo from Appendix II toAppendix I
Proponent: Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria andTogo
Summary: The African Lion Panthera leo is the second-largest cat species, found in sub-Saharan Africa andIndia; it was formerly also present in North Africa and the Middle East. In Africa it is known to be extant in 25(possibly 26) range States and has been recently reintroduced to a 27th (Rwanda). It is possibly extinct in fiveothers. Current area of occupancy is estimated at around 1.7 million km2, this representing a small portion of
its presumed historic range1.
Panthera leo are absent from tropical moist forest and hyper-arid desert but otherwise have wide habitat
tolerance; their optimum habitat is open woodland and thick bush, scrub and grass complexes. They aresocial, living in prides with an average size of four to six adults1. Population density is closely linked toseasonal prey availability and varies widely, from 1.5 adults per 100 km2 in semi-desert (in South Africa) to55 adults per 100 km 2 in prey-rich savannah (the Serengeti in East Africa)1. Generation time is estimated atseven years. Average litter size is 2.5, with an interbirth interval of around 20 months if some of the previous
litter survive to maturity, four to five months if not2. The species is present in a large number of protectedareas, both fenced and unfenced, operating under a range of management regimes.
The major factors adversely affecting P. leo populations are killing (often pre-emptive) in defence of humanlife and livestock, habitat loss, and declines in the prey base. Where not appropriately managed, trophy
hunting may have an adverse effect on P. leo populations1.
In 2013 a population of around 32,000 P. leo in Africa was suggested, based on a compilation of available
data sources3. The status of P. leo was comprehensively reviewed for the IUCN Red List in 2015. Theauthors of the 2015 IUCN Red List Assessment (RLA) considered the 2013 figure to be an overestimate, as
it did not take into account recent changes (mainly declines) that were believed to have taken place in some
populations, and thought the number likely to be closer to 20,000 than over 30,000. IUCN categorised thespecies as Vulnerable in 2016.
The RLA carried out a time trend analysis of census data for the period 1993 to 2014 (three P. leogenerations) for 47 relatively well monitored P. leo subpopulations that together comprise a substantial
portion of the total species population1. Because of significant differences in observed regional trends, thesample populations were grouped into three regions for analysis: eastern Africa; southern Africa; andwestern and central Africa. The assessment used a decline from 1118 to 0 for Katavi in Tanzania, althoughacknowledged that the data were imprecise, and that P. leo were still present there. It excluded as an outlier
one large population (estimated at ca. 1300 in 2014) in Mozambique (Niassa) that was recorded as having
increased in size by over 250% since 1993; the circumstances surrounding this increase were consideredunusual, and unlikely to be sustained in the future1.
Overall, a reduction of 43% in the P. leo population over the period 1993 to 2014 was inferred in the RLA,
resulting in a classification of the species as Vulnerable. In four southern African countries (Botswana,Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) the population was assessed as having grown overall by 8% in theperiod; elsewhere in Africa the population was assessed as having declined by just over 60%. However,there were a number of stable or increasing P. leo populations in Africa outside southern Africa, and one
large population in southern Africa (Okavango in Botswana) that was declining. On the basis of the RLA, thepopulation in the four southern African countries was estimated to comprise around half the total African
population of P. leo in 2014, compared with around one-quarter in 1993.
Re-analysis of the survey data without the figures for Katavi reduces the inferred overall decline in P. leo in
Africa between 1993 and 2014 to around 33%; inclusion of the Niassa population would reduce it still further.
The authors of the RLA considered their estimate of the decline might be conservative because they
believed that less well monitored populations for which data were not available would be more likely to be
declining than well monitored populations. A 2015 paper noted that no reliable data were available on P. leo
populations or population trends in Angola, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan
and that systematic surveys were absent from large areas of potential P. leo habitat in other countries, such
as Zambia and Tanzania4.
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CoP17 Prop. 4
Panthera leo has been included in CITES Appendix II since 1975 under the general listing of the family
Felidae. The Indian population has been included (as Panthera leo persica) in Appendix I since that time.
P. leo products are in trade. The CITES Trade Database indicates that South Africa is by far the largest
exporter; a significant portion of the trade is in trophies from captive-breeding operations. Very little tradefrom any other range State has been reported. Illegal trade has been reported but is believed currently to be
at a relatively low level.
Analysis: The African population of Panthera leo does not have a restricted range, nor does it have a small
population. The population overall has been declining. Estimates of the rate of decline vary, from around
34% to 43% in the past 21 years (three P. leo generations). This is less than the guideline figure given inRes. Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16) for a marked recent rate of decline. Moreover, the rate of decline has beenslowing because stable or increasing P. leo populations, mainly in southern Africa, make up an increasing
proportion of the overall population. The African population of P. leo would not therefore appear to meet thebiological criteria for inclusion in Appendix I.
Reviewers: C. Breitenmoser-Würsten.
References:
Information not referenced in the Summary section is from the Supporting Statement.
1 Bauer, H., Packer, C., Funston, P.F., Henschel, P. & Nowell, K. (2015) Panthera leo. The IUCN Red List of Threatened

Species 2015.
2
Nowell, K and Jackson, P. (Compilers and editors) (1996) Wild Cats: Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN,Cambridge, UK and Gland, Switzerland.
3 Riggio, J., Jacobson, A., Dollar, L., Bauer, H., Becker, M., Dickman, A., Funston, P., Groom, R., Henschel, P., de Longh,
H., Lichtenfeld, L. & Pimm, S. (2013) The size of savannah Africa: A lion’s (Panthera leo) view. Biodiversity andConservation 22: 17-35.
4 Bauer, H., Chapron, G., Nowell, K., Henschel, P., Funston, P., Hunter, L., Macdonald, D. & Packer, C. (2015) Lion
(Panthera leo) populations are declining rapidly across Africa, except in intensively managed areas. Proceedings of theNational Academy of Sciences 112: 14894-14899.

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