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ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - B - THE LION (Panthera leo)
ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - B - THE LION (Panthera leo)
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ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - B - THE LION (Panthera leo)
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http://www.cbs.umn.edu/sites/default/fil...theory.pdf
Here is a great study on how lion coalitions are formed. Over 42% of male lion coalitions are actually unrelated as well as males "joining their probable fathers to form coalitions" Pretty interesting and shows the life of a bachelor male is much easier if they decide to join with rivals, even if its for a short time. I also read a interesting fact on the Mapongo (sp) pride about how they ruled for so long yet never had a single cub make it to adult hood. Due to competition between them, they would kill eachothers cubs. It was almost celebrated when they were finally defeated becasue of the hope of better fathers helping spread new lion genes. Oh how the excitement of the Mapogo arrival was overrated, based on the social structure outcome to the population dynamics of the lions in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin. Yes they provided formidable viewing and photographic opportunities, undoubtedly serving as a huge attraction to a multitude of guests wishing to view and photograph lions of such infamy, but from a species survival point of view, they have done unmentionable damage to the breeding and survival ecology of the lion species in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, thereby affecting the total African lion population. Of the original 62 Lions that were present in the Western Sector when they arrived, there are now only 3 origionals left, all belonging to the Ximungwe pride. The remaining lions are, 1 Lioness from the Ximungwe pride that joined from the Tsalala Pride, 4 Youngsters from these females (total – 8) and 2 Ottawa lionesses, both being Mapogo offspring. The Ottawa pride have 4 small cubs( total – 8 ), which in all likelihood will be killed by the Southern Males (to force the females into early oestrous), as will the Ximungwe pride youngsters we suspect. Ximungwe Pride – 6 Years and not a single cub ( nil – zero – 0 ) has yet to be raised to maturity. That is a shocking statistic when it comes to the fathering and protection abilities of the territorial coalition, the Mapogo. They were more absorbed with their internal conflicts and dominance status within the coalition that they would kill each other’s cubs, the main culprit co-incidentally being the one killed today, Mr.T. http://blog.londolozi.com/2012/03/lion-w...of-an-era/ I noticed how many pride members are actually from other prides. It seems loyality is decided by survival, and lions sometimes prefer new pride members no matter where they are from just as long as they help with the kill. Both are interesting reads 
THE LAND OF THE LION - W. RAINSFORD (1909)
This book was written in the days of colonies, protectorates, safaris, discoveries, adventure, rogue elephants, big lions, the mau-mau and plenty of other mysteries. A long read, but very interesting: https://archive.org/stream/landlion00rai...0/mode/2up   *This image is copyright of its original author n=37 for girth. n=40 for total length. Girth relationship moderate. Length relationship is statistically significant, but wouldn't say something that strong. I'll kill two birds with one stone. The crater lion issue was raised a while ago, and the poster gave his estimate. Using the equation here, the 127 cm girth is of a 192 kg specimen and the 134 cm girth of a 211 kg specimen, averaging the two masses gives 202 kg.
Nice info Tigerluver. Body length seems to be the best way to judge total weight. Makes sense, since a longer body means more mass that needs to be dispersed throughout the animal.
My mistake, in formatting the table in word I shifted some rows wrong. The correct chart will be edited back into the post.
Camera trap captures first video of lion in Gabon in 20 years
 *This image is copyright of its original author © Dr. Philipp Henschel, courtesy of PantheraGood news from Gabon: conservation efforts in Batéké Plateau National Park are rewarded with the return of an animal that has disappeared from the region.When researchers began conducting wildlife surveys in the southeastern region of Gabon, their sensor-triggered cameras were more likely to capture images of poachers than big cats. Dr. Philipp Henschel, the Lion Program Survey Coordinator for the conservation organization Panthera, led surveys in 2001 and 2003, but found no evidence of lions. Illegal hunting, habitat loss and habitat degradation had caused lions to be considered “locally extinct.”In 2002, the Batéké Plateau National Park was established to protect an ecosystem that’s made up of a patchwork of savannah and forest. It seems the conservations efforts are working. This past month, camera traps set for a chimpanzee study by the caught a glimpse of a lion roaming at night:The chimpanzee study is being led by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee and The Aspinall Foundation.Following the discovery, Panthera teamed up with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, The Aspinall Foundation and Gabon’s National Park Authority to launch a new survey for lions. Last week, even clearer footage of a male lion was captured: “This footage is truly unexpected, and yet wonderful proof that life for the lions of Gabon and the region still remains a possibility,” said Dr. Henschel in a statement about the finding.It’s not yet clear if the the lion migrated from a known population in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or if it is a survivor from the earlier population historically found in the area. According to Panthera, lions like this one may travel 300 to 400 kilometers (186 to 248 miles) from their place of birth. It’s also unclear if this lion is a solitary individual or if he’s part of a new breeding population. Hopefully, the new lion survey will help to make the picture clearer.More data may also help spur lion conservation efforts in Gabon and neighboring countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.Good News Indeed.... [img]images/smilies/blush.gif[/img] 
My dear God, this lion looks exactly like an Indian lion!!!
Compare it with this:  *This image is copyright of its original author There is no doubt, in DNA and morphology, that the west African lions, Barbary lions and Persian-Indian lions are definetly the same lions subspecies/clade.
My thoughts exactly when i first saw it.. I thought it might be fake.. Then again Panthera org... So it is legitimate .
@Pradyumna , Welcome back. Its really great news and I am also following it on FB, I saw a detail article on it at http://www.earthtouchnews.com/conservati...k-in-gabon also at http://africageographic.com/blog/regiona...-in-gabon/
Good info ! I hope it will be confirmed by other lions arrivals. And a quite new insolit biotop, mixed savannah-forest, preserved with lions, leopards, chimps, gorillas...
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