Managing hunting quotas of African lions (Panthera leo): A case study from Zambia

Abstract

Hunting lions while their populations are declining in much of Africa is a highly controversial issue. However, hunting for lions and other charismatic large mammals in Africa has contributed to maintaining large areas of wild land for lions and wildlife conservation. To minimise the impacts of hunting lions in some 150,000 km2 of Game Management Areas (total ∼190,000 km2) in Zambia an age-based quota setting system has been adopted. The approach involves reducing the number of lions taken to one per hunting block and limiting trophy hunting to past prime male lions. The age-based assessment criteria and the results from assessing the trophies taken in 2017 and 2018 are presented. Of the 18 trophies taken in 2017, 11% were judged to be under age, 17% were marginal and the remaining 72% were acceptable trophies of animals aged 6 years or older, with 28% being ≥7 years or older. The results for 2018 showed a higher proportion (42%) of older lions (≥7 years) being taken. Legal instruments to give force to the guidelines on trophies that can legally be hunted are being introduced to ensure the sustainable offtake of past prime male lions with minimal disruption of pride coalitions. These developments will contribute to improved management of lion hunting in Zambia and to meeting the non-detriment finding and conservation enhancement requirements of European and American regulations governing the importation of lion trophies.