Africa’s most iconic predator – the lion – is declining almost everywhere

The lion is among Africa’s most iconic wildlife – right up there with elephants, rhinos and giraffes – and also one of the continent’s top predators. But despite its status as one of the world’s most recognizable animals, the lion has lately been losing its grip on its historic domain. Habitat destruction, decreasing prey availability, bushmeat hunting and poaching have all taken their toll on lion populations, and new research suggests that their condition may be even worse than expected. A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that lion populations are declining everywhere on the continent except in intensively managed areas in mostly Southern Africa....