{"id":2183211,"date":"2024-12-22T06:00:56","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T05:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2183211"},"modified":"2024-12-22T08:55:20","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T07:55:20","slug":"the-state-of-lions-leopards-and-hyenas-in-uganda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/the-state-of-lions-leopards-and-hyenas-in-uganda\/","title":{"rendered":"The state of lions, leopards and hyenas in Uganda"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first comprehensive population estimate of Uganda\u2019s lions, leopards and spotted hyenas in almost two decades has revealed that lion numbers in the country are extremely low.<\/p>\n

Leopards (Panthera pardus) are holding on across the country, and hyenas are faring well.<\/p>\n

In a collaboration involving more than 100 conservation stakeholders, researchers used spatial capture-recapture methods to look at the three species in six major protected areas in Uganda.<\/p>\n

The researchers uncovered that lions (Panthera leo) are declining, with fewer than 40 individuals in Queen Elizabeth National Park and 20 in Kidepo Valley National Park.<\/p>\n

Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta), on the other hand, are doing well throughout the country, particularly in Murchison Falls National Park.<\/p>\n

The researchers said these high numbers could potentially indicate a trophic imbalance. Uganda officials are already using the findings from this study in its new Strategic Action Plan for Large Carnivore Conservation.<\/p>\n

This article<\/a> was first published by The Wildlife Society on 9 December 2024. Lead Image: A group of African lion cubs in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in October 2024. Credit: Alexander Braczkowski.<\/i><\/p>\n

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