Lions "Close To Extinction" - 90% Population Drop In 20 Years - BBC

[hatrack]

"Lion populations have fallen by almost 90% in the past 20 years, leaving the animal close to extinction in Africa, a wildlife expert has warned. There are now only 23,000 left, compared to an estimated 200,000 two decades ago, according to Laurence Frank, a wildlife biologist from the University of California.

EDIT

Interviewed in New Scientists magazine, Dr. Frank says 'It's not just lions. Populations of all African predators are plummeting.'

The wild dog population has fallen to between 3,500 and 5,000 and there are now fewer than 15,000 cheetahs.

'People know about elephants, gorillas and rhinos, but they seem blissfully unaware that these large carnivores are nearing the brink,' he says."

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3119434.stm

Pardon me while I go post this on LBN - maybe somebody will fucking notice.

[villager]

1. one group that won't fucking notice:

homo sapiens...

[hatrack]

2. You got that right

Remember the old saying "I love mankind - it's people I can't stand!"? Reverse that for my basic take on the story.

[villager]

5. it's a good take...

& I think the pyschological damage done species-wide to us by these extinctions is incalculable...

[blindpig]

9. MORE HOMEOCENTRIC THINKING

ME THINKS YOU'VE GOT THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG THERE, BUCKO.

[joeybee12]

3. This is awful!

They are magnificent animals--why can't the Bush crime family go extinct?????

[arcane1]

4. amen to that

:-(

[nedlogg]

6. 23,000 lions . . .

and 5 billion humans.

What's wrong with this picture?

[villager]

7. or to paraphrase John Muir...

...if it comes to a war between Lord God Man, and the bears, I'm on the side of the bears...

[GAspnes]

8. 90%?!

What's the forecasted date of total extinction?

[kwolf68]

10. One good part of extinction

They won't be hunted by these gutless wonders skilled in the ritualistic slaughter of innocent lifeforms anymore.

I didn't dedicate my life to saving animals so fuckers could hunt them down and stuff them on a wall.

Where's the next stop so I can get off this planet?

[kwolf68]

11. Here is a quote

>>>>Controversially, Dr Frank says the only solution is for local people to earn money from the predators, either through tourism or through sport hunting. <<<<<


If we are going to serve these awesome cats on the assembly line for gutless pussies with guns, then I say let them go extinct.

Ecotourism is clearly the answer for the humane in humanity.