Four Poachers Arrested for Poisoning Lions in Uganda

​worldanimalnews.com/breaking-six-lions-are-tragically-found-dead-of-suspected-poisoning-in-queen-elizabeth-national-park-in-uganda/

6 lions were found dead in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park, leading authorities to arrest 4 people for the poisonings. After being apprehended, the suspects brought the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to the location of where they hid three of the lion heads and a fourth buried nearby. There were also 15 legs discovered severed under the same tree. Along with the severed body parts, the UWA discovered lion fat oil, hunting tools, and a chemical substance known as Furadan. The suspects are currently awaiting trial and will hopefully see lengthy prison sentences.

When you consider that there are approximately 20, 000 lions remaining in the wild, the untimely death of any of these lions is detrimental to their survival. Lions continue to face perils in the wild that are pushing them closer to extinction and all of those perils can be traced back to humans. Hunting and poaching, trophy hunting, and habitat loss due to increased human development are putting lion's survival at risk. As I said, we're talking about 20, 000 total remaining in the wild and experts have suggested that we will lose 50% of them within the next 20 years. These alarming statistics show us that despite the tireless efforts of conservation and advocacy organizations, lions are still in decline and continue to face challenges to their survival. It's incredibly disheartening to think that there are still people out there who fail to realize the importance of killing lions when they are so close to extinction.

This story shows us that we need global cooperation when it comes to conservation if we are truly going to prevent the extinction of so many of Africa's most recognizable and beloved species. Despite all of the tireless work of anti-poaching units, conservation organizations, and animal advocacy groups, lions continue to plunge towards extinction. What motivation could someone have for poisoning and dismembering lions? My only thought would be that they were selling the body parts on the black market but that's simply speculation. You see, there must be some kind of monetary motivation to slaughter endangered animals which is why poachers often risk their lives to slaughter these animals. The reward outweighs the risks associated with poaching which is why lions continue to be in grave danger of extinction.

As I've said many times before, extinction is finite. We are on track to potentially cause the extinction of lions in the wild within the next 40 years. We are on track to witness the extinction of giraffes within the next 30 years, elephants within the next 60. We need to do more and funnel more resources into protecting these beautiful animals because what we're currently doing is not enough. 20, 000 lions remaining in the wild tells us the situation is grave and we must act aggressively because if not, lions will undoubtedly go extinct in my lifetime.

HAPPY VEG