Cost effective assessment of human and habitat factors essential for critically endangered lions in West Africa

Lion occupancy in the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex, West Africa's last stronghold for critically endangered lions, is highest in areas with abundant riparian forest cover, minimal proximity to hunting concessions, and significant pastoralist activities. This study used a cost-effective, scalable occupancy framework combining spoor and line transect data to identify key landscape-level factors limiting lion distribution and prey density. Notably, prey density correlated strongly with evapotranspiration, while hyaena occupancy was inversely related to anthropogenic pressures but positively linked to dense vegetation and overall prey abundance. The findings underscore the critical role of transboundary conservation strategies in mitigating threats like illegal hunting and grazing, offering actionable insights for large carnivore preservation.

Kiki, M. A. D., Astaras, C., Montgomery, R. A., Henschel, P., Tehou, A., Macdonald, D., & Bauer, H. (2021). Cost effective assessment of human and habitat factors essential for critically endangered lions in West Africa. Wildlife Biology, 2021(4). https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.00848