Lion – prey relations in West and Central Africa

Abstract

Most studies on the lion (Panthera leo) have been conducted in East and southern Africa. Information from West and Central Africa is scarce, probably because densities are generally lower: lion densities are typically between 1 and 3 lions/100 km (Bauer and Van Der Merwe 2004). This corresponds with low standing biomass or prey densities in West and Central Africa (East 1984; De Bie 1991). Here, we examine the sparsely available information on lion–prey relations, in particular prey preferences and predator-prey biomass ratio, in relation to ecological conditions in West and Central Africa. Our discussion is mainly based on data from six study areas in the Soudano-sahelian savannah belt: Niokolo Koba National Park (NP) in Senegal, ‘W’ NP in Niger, Pendjari NP in Benin, Zakouma NP in Chad and Waza NP and Bouba Njida NP in Cameroon. For comparison, we used available data from the Serengeti, Manyara and Kruger ecosystems in East and southern Africa (Schaller 1972; Mills and Funston 2003). Many publications describe lion–prey relations and hunting behaviour in East and southern Africa (e.g. Schaller 1972; Packer and Pusey 1997; Funston et al. 2001; Ogutu and Dublin 2002; Mills and Funston 2003). In the absence of data from West and Central Africa,