KENYA: Lion statues in Kenyan city hoped to mend relationship between humans and the wild animals

Record ID: 361926

  • Title: KENYA: Lion statues in Kenyan city hoped to mend relationship between humans and the wild animals
  • Date: 3rd September 2009
  • Summary: SHOMPOLE, KENYA (FILE ) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LIONS IN THE WILD
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World
  • Reuters ID: LVA5SL4XFZIHHP2WZAOMO1T63SN4
  • Story Text: Kenya Wildlife Service and the Born Free foundation launched a display of lion statues across Nairobi on Wednesday (September 2) as part of a project dubbed the Pride of Kenya, that is hoped will raise awareness for their conservation.
    Kenyan wildlife authorities say there are only 2,100 lions left in the country.
    The Born Free Foundation estimates that lion populations in Africa may have fallen by as much as 75 percent in the last thirty years and as few as 25,000 lions now remain in Africa. They warn that if the decline continues, lions could face the same fate as Asia's tigers that are close to extinction.
    Conservationists say local appreciation for lions -- one of Kenya's top tourist attractions -- needs to rise dramatically to reduce cases of wildlife and human conflict, one of the major causes of the population decrease.
    The 50 lion statues scattered around Nairobi, will be auctioned and the proceeds from their sale given to communities living near lion habitats to supplement the income of local residents.
    "Lions... people dont see direct benefits, especially some of these rural communities. It is tourists who come here and sometimes they dont feel well connected to that benefit that comes because the money goes to the Kenya Wildlife Service, or to specific people who own a business, a lodge business. So we want to see how also benefits can reach the farmer, the maasai pastoralist or the Samburu pastoralist, can reach them. Without that happening, its a challenge, they will kill them because they are killing a cow and that cow is what benefits them, not the lion," said Alice Owen, a representative of Born Free Foundation.
    Many of Kenya's lion habitats lie close to the pastoralist communities in the rift Valley, who often kill the lions to protect their livestock.
    Wild lions are struggling to cope with various threats. Poisoning, shrinking habitats, lack of prey species, trophy hunting, poaching and illegal trade, are all taking a heavy toll on the populations.
    Raising concern is the use of a pesticide known as Furadan that is used by farmers and is a silent killer of lions.
    Furadan is used to control pests on crops mostly in developing nations. It is extremely toxic to animals, birds, and people.
    Animal experts say it has been used illegally in the U.S. and Canada to poison coyotes, and it is responsible for unintentional deaths of millions of animals.
    "Yes they are being killed, and they are being killed really to stop them from going to prey so this is a very dangerous pesticide Furadan , it is manufactured by a company in America and there is a licensed company here, it is banned in the states funny enough, so they know it is dangerous out there but it is sold in Africa. So we want to see Furadan removed from the market," said Owen.
    The statues are already grabbing the attention of residents in the capital. Nairobi residents rarely come in close contact with lions except when visiting parks in the outskirts of the city.
    Conservationists hope the statues will create interest on the importance of the animals to the economy and to balance of the ecosystem and wildlife.
    "It will help because of tourism. A lot more tourists will come to Kenya because of these animals, It is a good thing," said Martin Okello a resident of Nairobi.
    There are only six countries in Africa with 2,000 or more wild lions. Kenya is one of those countries.
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