That was in 2009. The flames scare the animals into their sights.CreditAshley Gilbertson for The New York Times By Dionne Searcey March 16, 2019 NIOKOLO RANGER OUTPOST, Senegal… Researchers were amazed. Before that, the EU used to be the largest importer of lion kills from the region, Henschel said, adding that the U.S. is considering listing the West African lion as endangered under its Endangered Species Act, which would prevent trophy imports by American hunters. Lion populations in Benin and Senegal have declined from a few thousand in the 18th century to just a few hundred now. pardus) in the Niokolo Koba National Park, Senegal, West Africa, using remote camera surveys and both traditional (CR), spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) techniques for servals and leopards, and non-spatial (MR) and spatial mark resight (SMR) methods for lions. Some called him “the Mubarak of archeology.” His critics included many other archeologists and students of the science. "We have to confront that reality," said Panthera president Luke Hunter. A lion prowls in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park, in West Africa on March 30, 2011. But political insecurity and unrest slowed the project. Zahi Hawass wore a hat similar to that of the movie character Indiana Jones. Canada's Most Trusted News. Their increased investment increases the number of visitors, which helps pay for conservation operations. Le Parc National du Niokolo Koba s'étend sur 913.000 hectares à l'extrême sud-est du pays entre les frontières de la Gambie, de la Guinée-Bissau, de la Guinée Conakry et du Mali.Il occupe un bon quart de ce que l'on a coutume d'appeler le "Sénégal oriental".Il est situé entre les 12°30' et les 13°20' de latitude nord et entre les 12°20' et les 13°35' de longitude ouest. The real tomb will remain open, at least for now. He says those two countries are home to 90 percent of the remaining lions in West Africa. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter delving into climate science and life on a changing planet. Before the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, Zahi Hawass was the best-known archeologist in Egypt. Danish zoo publicly dissects young lion. In January, a researcher studying chimpanzees accidentally filmed a lion. baboons and monkeys, many monkeys, in an area that covers about 900,000 hectares. New York Times SENEGAL DISPATCH In Forlorn Park, Lion Cubs Play in Traffic and Elephant Dung Is Met With Delight A bush fire set by poachers in Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal. It is estimated that about 20 lions live in Senegal. "It came as a big surprise because Nigeria has by far the biggest human population on the continent, and the national parks are fairly small compared to others in West Africa that already have lost their lions," Henschel told The Associated Press. The area stretches along the Nile River, near Luxor. Leptailurus serval) and two large carnivores (lion –Panthera leoand leopard –P. She was hit by a … In 1977 the last village was removed from Niokolo Koba, at the instigation of UNESCO, to "protect" the Reserve. But he says there is not enough money to end illegal hunting. Small patches of lion … For further information on the region of Tambacounda, see the web site Déstination Sénégal Oriental (in French only) . Suddenly, it could become a reality. In India, about 500 lions remain, all in Gujarat state, according to state officials. Three years earlier, Nigerian conservationists had reported lions present in six protected areas, but they had apparently disappeared in four of them, Henschel said. It says there are only 16 lions left. Then he saw it, his first lion in West Africa. Today, Niokolo Koba National Park is the last place in Senegal where some of Africa’s most famous animals live in freedom. They are celebrated in Nigeria as a national symbol of pride in paintings on buses, the logo of the National Park Service and even a cement label, but they have proved easy to kill. The whole area is underlain by PreCambrian granitic shield bedrock overlain by Cambrian sandstone which outcrops in places, with some metamorphic rocks. The URL has been copied to your clipboard. Work began on the replica in 2009. Dr. Henschel says Senegal spends little to protect and preserve the lions in Niokolo-Koba. We also tell about a life-size model of the final resting place for Egypt’s “boy king.”, West African Lions Under Threat in Senegal. The 9,130 square … Colonel Ousmane Kane is the chief conservation officer for the park. Today, Niokolo Koba National Park is the last place in Senegal where some of Africa’s most famous animals live in freedom. From VOA Learning English, this is Science in the News. (Philipp Henschel / Panthera). “What is really telling is well is when I conducted the survey with five National Park Service staff in 2011, none of them had ever seen a lion in their lives. Friends of Niokolo Koba. The count was depressing: 25 to 30 lions left in Kainji Lake National Park in west-central Nigeria and only about five in the east-central Yankari National Park. With their short manes or none at all, West African lions look more like Asian lions than their southern and east African cousins. Niokolo Koba is possibly the best national park in Senegal, where endangered species such as leopards, elephants, lions, hippos, giant elands the largest antelope in the world and especially Warthogs Pumba, in The Lion King, gather together. Phil Henschel works for the group. AP. Tutankhamun -- Tut, for short -- was arguably the world’s most famous ruler. The Niokolo-Koba National Park (Parc National du Niokolo-Koba - PNNK) is one of the first national parks in Africa. That harms the wildlife that lions traditionally feed on. Although immense, most visitors stay around the central part, Simenti. The tomb of Egypt’s King Tutankhamun was lost to the world for thousands of years. Demba Faye is one of 150 rangers who guard the park. Senegalese officials are using suggestions from the Panthera study to help develop a plan to save the remaining lions. The Lion Recovery Fund has already provided support to the Niokolo-Koba and WAP areas and is now reviewing a proposal from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to assist their work in … A large protected area in West Africa Niokolo koba is a very interesting and the largest National Park in Senegal. Lions, leopards, baboons, hippos and antelope are all found (though not always easily spotted) here. Henschel has gone on to survey all 21 protected areas believed to harbor lions … Several American and international researchers say he influenced many tourists to visit Egypt’s ancient places. (Philipp Henschel / Panthera) Related Stories. Some of the services offered in Niokolo-Koba National Park and its surroundings are listed here. One of these suggestions is barring villagers from letting their cattle feed in protected areas. The … Wildlife experts say the big cats are being pushed out of their natural environments. You will be obliged to hire a guide at the entrance. It probably strayed across the border from Congo, Henschel thinks. management plans, KBAs and key landscapes for conservation analysis). Or in Ivory Coast or Ghana or war-shattered eastern Congo. Parc National Niokolo Koba, Tambacounda, Senegal. Metadata Show full item record. But he says they do not want the lions to disappear. Today, they exist only in India and Africa. In fact, he says, Senegal spends about one-tenth of the amount spent in similar parks in Burkina Faso and Benin. He says the rangers arrested four poachers earlier this year. Panthera and the Oxford University-based WildCRU are hosting a Cecil Summit in February in Oxford to draw attention to the threat to lions like Cecil, who conservationists say was lured out of a protected area in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park before being wounded with a bow and arrow and then tracked down and killed. Researchers warn that the king of the animals -- the lion -- is rapidly losing its habitat in the savannahs of Africa. Diagnostic tools used. Niokolo-Koba National Park: Camp du Lion. New research published Monday shows sharp declines since 1990 in nearly all lion populations in West and Central Africa, and that both regions risk losing half their lions within the next two decades. Kane_MD_T_2014.pdf (3.287Mb) Downloads: 1977. The ancient tomb was unable to stay cool and dry because of all the visitors. Today, they are fighting for survival in just four protected parks in the area. East Africa stands a 37 per cent chance of halving its lion population over the same period, according to the survey published in the Proceedings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and written by researchers including Henschel. This lack of visitors is not positive for this important protected area and probably it depends from… The antelope succumbed to one of them. The lions have been pushed out of their homelands. But a recent wildlife study estimates that only 400 of the big cats remain. The replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb is so like the real tomb that some archeologists call it “unbelievable.” Laser instruments and printing equipment covered the replica’s walls with the colors and texture of the real murals. Author. He says all the animals living there are important, but the lion is central. "Everyone was excited, including rangers from Nigeria's National Park Service -- it was the first time they had seen one too.". "Lions and people both evolved in Africa and co-existed for millennia, but today, one is losing the race for survival.". So people are realizing how rare these animals are nowadays.”. 1,214 likes. Over time, the ancient walls suffered damage from moisture in the air. And in of all places, Nigeria. CAMPEMENT DU LION - Parc National Du Niokolo Koba - Bafoulabe Camping : Situé un peu plus à l'est de Simenti, à Bafoulabe, au bord du fleuve. When lions stray from protected areas and kill cattle, herdsmen will sometimes poison the cow's carcass to kill the lion, Henschel said. He says villagers do let their livestock eat in the open national park. Date 2014-07-17. The amount of money earned from tourism also is lower. Niokolo Koba is possibly the best national park in Senegal, where endangered species such as leopards, elephants, lions, hippos, giant elands the largest antelope in the world and especially Warthogs Pumba, in The Lion King, gather together. The colonel notes that Senegalese people sing about it in their national anthem. Model of King Tut’s Tomb Opens in Egypt. They hope less traffic to the actual tomb will reduce damage. A male lion cub that is one of a few remaining in Nigeria's Yankari National Park is seen on Friday, July 13, 2012. The three areas where they remain are Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park, Nigeria’s Kainji Lake National Park, and the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex located in … He gave public talks and wrote books. Strategic documents at the protected area, national and regional levels (e.g. There are fewer than two dozen lions left in Niokolo Koba National Park, a 3,500-square-mile wildlife refuge in the western African nation of Senegal, where thousands of the animals used to roam free. LAGOS, Nigeria -- Lions, that symbol of Africa's wild beauty, power and freedom, no longer roam in Mali. He often appeared on television. But a busy road runs through the middle. He is heading a study called the Lion Program Survey. (Philipp Hensche / Panthera). The population of animals like the buffalo and roan antelope has decreased by 95 percent over the past 20 years. Then, in 1922, a team led by British archeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb and opened it. But the lion, a magnificent specimen at just the right age for breeding at about 4 1/2 years old, remains in solitary residence 10 months later. Now Panthera, the German-based Max Planck Institute and Gabonese wildlife officials are searching for two females to create a self-sustaining lion population in the park. The replica was opened to visitors recently. Primate researcher Ivonne Kienast of the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology caught the image in Gabon's Bateke Plateau National Park, where lions have not been sighted since 1995. Dr. Marla: Can you get the vaccine if you've had COVID-19? Dr. Henschel says Senegal should do the same to prevent illegal activity in the park. In 2007 it was added to the UNESCO List of Endangered World Heritage sites. He's been nicknamed Ali, after Gabon's President Ali Bongo, who Henschel says is a big cat lover. “I mean, those countries are, are seriously investing in lion, lion conservation and protected area management in general, and it does pay off.”. Join us next week for more news about science here on the Voice of America. Elsewhere in West Africa, the prospects are bleak. But Senegal is threatened with losing its lion population. Thorn Tree forum Country forums Africa Senegal. Lions in Niokolo Koba National Park regularly kill livestock outside the national park, leading to retaliatory killings by local people. Toronto mayor reveals moment he knew the city had to close, Driver charged after man left clinging to truck, CTV National News for Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, CTV National News: A record-breaking feat. Abstract. Those animals eat food needed by other wildlife in the park. He says they are fighting hard to save the park. But archeologists hope that the replica will lead some people to visit the copied tomb instead of the real one. View/ Open. But some people thought of him as being too close to the Mubarak government, which he denies. The code has been copied to your clipboard. Niokolo-Koba National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the southeast of the country. Or most of the rest of West Africa. Established as a reserve in 1925, Niokolo-Koba was declared a Senegalese national park on 1 January 1954. He also had an online fan club. Fewer than 20,000 lions roam the wilds in all of Africa, according to an estimate from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. He organized a traveling exhibit called “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.” The show helped raise more than $100 million for Egypt. Last reply was Wed, 27 Jan 2016 11:20:33 +0000. A bustling national highway runs through the park now, and urbanization has begun to encroach more and more on the slim space set aside for wildlife. He was buried among other members of ruling families in the Valley of the Kings. Small patches of lion … Niokolo-Koba lion Considered since 1981 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Niokolo-Koba National Park provides a habitat for an extraordinary biodiversity: lions, African wild dogs, West African chimpanzees, elephants, hippopotamuses, giant elands… Protected and conserved area(s) concerned. Temperature changes made pieces of the paint fall off. He is often called the “boy king.” Scientists say Tut was born more than 3,300 years ago. He has seen only nine lions in four reserves, including Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park and the trans-frontier Pendjari and Arli National Parks of Benin and Burkina Faso. In West Africa, only 400 lions remain, according to Henschel's research, making them likely the most endangered lions on the planet. El-Hadj Fadya is the chief in Dienoun Diala, a village near the park. Henschel has gone on to survey all 21 protected areas believed to harbour lions in West Africa. We have been there for 2 days in January and we have met only 5 other tourists in the entire park. The number of foreign tourists visiting Egypt has dropped in recent years. Kane, Mamadou Daha. Some experts say as many as 40,000 lions once lived in West Africa. ​This Science in the News was produced by Christopher Cruise. Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park is home to fewer than 50 lions after years of poaching decimated not only them but also their prey. Associated Press writers Katy Daigle in New Delhi and Christopher Torchia in Johannesburg contributed to this report. This program was written by Jerilyn Watson from reports by Nick Loomis in Tambacounda, Senegal and George Putic in Washington, Lions Are Fighting for Survival in Senegal. It is crossed by the River Gambia and its two tributaries, the Niokolo Koba and the Koulountou, which flow through extensive grassland depressions that are flooded during the rains, although these are drying out rapidly. The 40-year-old Henschel has lived nearly half his life in Gabon, nurturing a dream to re-establish a lion population in that West African nation after their two-decade-long absence. The trade for wild-animal meat in Senegal has cut the numbers of other animals in the park that lions would normally eat. The Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal on September 20, 2017 Who knew that a little known park in eastern Senegal has lions, hippopotamus, water buffalo, the rare giant Eland, and the northernmost population of chimpanzees in the world. He says there is not enough protection and enforcement efforts for a park the size of Niokolo-Koba. baboons and monkeys, many monkeys, in an area that covers about 900,000 hectares. The decline is due to growing populations of peasant farmers encroaching on their traditional ranges, poachers feeding a growing appetite for bush meat, like antelopes, that are lions' sole food source, and global warming fueling a deadly conflict for grazing land between nomadic herders and farmers, leaving even less space for lions. 2K likes. He ruled from childhood and was thought to be about 19 years old when he died. With the international spotlight on lion conservation intensified by outrage over the killing this year of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by an American hunter, Henschel's Panthera group hopes to attract funding from conservation agencies and Nigerian philanthropists to make sure lions do not disappear here. Enter custom title (optional) This topic is locked. Estimating abundance, density, and occupancy of lion, leopard and serval in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. The Park is a relatively flat region with small lines of hills reaching to about 200m and low plateaus separated by wide floodplains. Our guide, Bembe (Keita) was excellent, A lion slinks through Senegal’ s Niokolo-Koba National Park, in West Africa, on March 30, 2011. Lions roamed much of the world, from Africa, across Europe and Asia, and even North America until about 11,000 years ago, Henschel said. He calls it a symbol, or sign, of the country. Lion populations are increasing in only four southern African nations: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, where most lions are in fenced reserves, the survey found. I mean, one of them had worked in the park for 10 years yet never, ever laid eyes on a lion. Even here in the national park known as Niokolo-Koba, dangers abound for the small sample of wildlife that has managed to hang on. The trophy hunting that killed Cecil is legal in only two West African countries, Burkina Faso and Benin, but the number of kills that once caused local declines has diminished since the European Union banned imports of lion trophies from both countries over the past year. Colonel Kane estimates that there are about 100 of the animals left in Niokolo Koba. He has seen only nine lions in four reserves, including Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park and the trans-frontier Pendjari and Arli National Parks of Benin and Burkina Faso. Download the CTV News app now. In the competition for land and food between lions and humans, the king of the jungle is losing. His research, published last year, reported that lions no longer exist in 99 per cent of their historic range in West Africa -- a finding that prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to put the lions of West Africa on its Red List as critically endangered. Like many African countries, Senegal has attempted to balance environmental concerns with development. West African lions (Philipp Henschel / Panthera). Niokolo-Koba National Park, World Heritage Site, 2580. Welcome to Parc National de Niokolo-Koba This biologically rich national park is home to a spectacular array of flora and fauna, with some 350 bird species and 80 mammal species spread across a vast reserve in southeastern Senegal. Expanded in 1969, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1981 as a UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve. Despite being one of the most politically stable countries in West Africa, the UN classifies Senegal in the low human development category with over 50% of the population classified as suffering from deprivation in health, education and standard of living. Three years of searching and no sight of a lion for Philipp Henschel, lion survey co-ordinator for the New York-based Panthera conservation group. Today on the program, we tell about problems facing lions in West Africa. Zahi Hawass was known for his energy and ability to make difficult information available to non-students of archeology. Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park is home to fewer than 50 lions after years of poaching decimated not only them but also their prey. For the region of Kedougou, see the site EcoSenegal Kedougou.. 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Cracks in the walls got bigger. But in the years since then, the king’s ancient burial place has suffered serious damage. New coronavirus strain spreading in U.K. has key mutations, scientists say, Tracking every case of COVID-19 in Canada, Canada locks in thousands more early COVID-19 vaccine doses. But the international conservation group for wild cats -- Panthera -- says that is old information. To rescue the tomb from further harm, workers in Egypt have created a full-size replica -- an exact copy of it. And, the national football team is called the Lions. A lion prowls in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park, in West Africa on March 30, 2011. The 9,130 square kilometers of parkland are home to lions and other wildlife.