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| Hluhluwe lion in very poor condition |
STORY: Zululand Observer
Wildlife enthusiasts have been thrilled by many recent sightings of lions at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Park (HiP). However, a number of the animals appear to be in poor health. Zululand Observer reporter Dave Savides posed questions to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Veterinarian Dr Dave Cooper and HiP Ecologist Dave Druce, and received the following useful information
Q. What is the present approximate lion count in HiP?
A. We estimate that there are between 180 and 200 lions in HiP. This is based on estimates generated per section which are estimated from the numbers of lions which came into call-ups as well as other groups of lions which they know did not come into call-ups. For certain areas of the park, it is a complete guesstimate.
Q. What has the historical count been, for comparative purposes?
A. 2006: 84, 2008: 145, 2009: 150, 2010: 200. Data further back is a little sketchy as various publications and reports sometimes contradict each other.
Q How many separate prides are there?
A. We have no idea! The monitoring is not at the intensity required to know this information. I would estimate there is in excess of 10 prides.
Q. Are other lions brought in to strengthen the pride (genetically)?
A. Historically other lions have been brought in. The last introductions were carried out between 1999 and the beginning of 2001 when a total of 16 lions were brought in from Pilanesberg and Madikwe. Since the HiP population has a history of in-breeding the genetic status is currently being monitored and introductions may be proposed if heterozygosity (in-breeding) drops to below acceptable limits.
Q. Are any lions to be culled or sold or is a saturation point still far off?
A. There are no plans to do this. Animals that show signs of disease are euthanised and tested for diseases. Research has shown that in the past when the population reached high numbers and no further introductions took place, the percentage of diseased lions in the population increased and this then resulted in the population becoming reduced through the deaths or euthanising of these individuals. I would suggest that disease as well as intra-specific competition (between prides or between males) would result in the population maintaining itself at a certain level. Intact and effective boundary fences are integral for this to happen. Displaced lions (mainly young males) will wander looking for a safe refuge. Instances of problem lion escapees were frequent in the 80s when the lion population was on the increase and adequate fencing was not yet in place.
Q. Why the ‘tree’ lions? Is it for coolness, or vantage, or because of biting flies/insects/ticks?
A. No-one has any good idea why there are prides which climb trees in HiP. Many people have theories as to why this is the case. I have seen lions in trees in Mbhuzane, Nqumeni and Masinda sections. I have seen a lion in a tree about 20m from his pride mates which were feeding on a buffalo, so potentially it’s not as a vantage point for looking for prey. I have seen lions in trees in HiP during the early morning, the late afternoon/early evening, during drizzle and during the heat of the day, so it cannot only be to keep cool.
Lions would probably pick up more ticks walking through the grass than they would resting in the shade of a tree and although there are tsetse flies in certain parts of the park, they are not overly abundant. So I don’t think that lions climb trees in HiP for any one reason. I’d suggest it could be for a combination of reasons that they would climb trees. During summer, when the grass is long, there is no breeze if one is lying on the ground. During this time, one would pick up more of a breeze and therefore stay cooler in a tree. Perhaps this was also the case with the lion I saw in a tree when his pride mates were feeding. He has already eaten and perhaps found it cooler up in a tree where he was then above most of the sicklebush. Perhaps lions would climb trees in the early morning or late afternoon to look for prey, although one of the occasions where I saw lions in a tree in the late afternoon, it was a sub-adult which was in the tree and the cubs were trying to climb up to her.
Q. Is it only buffalo that infect the lions with TB?
A. Bovine TB can potentially infect any warm- blooded animal (including humans) so technically any one of the favoured prey species could infect a predator - usually through the oral route. Previous and current TB surveys have however only detected TB in kudu, bush pig and baboon, none of which are considered to play an important role in the epidemiology of the disease. Kudu are a very-low density species in HiP and the frequency of kills is therefore very low. Both the baboon and bush pig were older ‘lone’ animals and it is presumed that they became infected by scavenging around the abattoir. In both Kruger and HiP buffalo are considered to be the primary maintenance host with other prey species playing a very minor role in spreading the disease. (Elsewhere in the world the disease is maintained in species such as lechwe, white-tailed deer, bison, possums and badgers).
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