Mismatch between conservation needs and actual representation of lions from West and Central Africa in in situ and ex situ conservation

Abstract

Mismatches between conservation action and conservation needs have been highlighted for diverse species. Lion (Panthera leo) conservation is no exception, raising the question of whether current conservation strategies are always adequate to ensure the long-term persistence of threatened taxa. To investigate the representation of different lion Evolutionary Significant Units in field research, captive populations, funding allocation, and education, we carried out a literature review and sent an online questionnaire to zoos worldwide. Over 75% of the publications focused on southern and eastern African populations. Uplisting the West African lion to Critically Endangered did not change this result. We received 88 responses from zoos, which reported 346 lions in 83 zoos. Only 14 individuals have West and Central African origins. Over 70% of the respondents reported that they do not include any information on the conservation status or taxonomy of lions from West and Central Africa in their education programs. The minority of zoos funding in situ lion projects did so in Eastern and Southern Africa. We provide recommendations to encourage roleplayers involved in lion and other threatened species conservation to address this mismatch by shifting some of their attention and funding to West and Central Africa.