Tanzania's herders kill hundreds of lions each year

Herders in Tanzania are killing more than 200 lions every year according to a conservationist at Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute.

Dennis Ikanda says given the global status of lions, an intervention is required to resolve the conflict between wildlife and pastoralists bordering national parks.

The increased population of cattle and scarcity of grazing areas have been sending pastoralists closer to the boundaries of the national parks, where encounters with lions and other wildlife become unavoidable, reports BBC.

So, as lions kill their cattle, pastoralists kill the lions.

But even though the number appears high, Ikanda says the figure does not necessarily amount to the extinction of lions in the near future.

“Tanzania has a very stable lions’ population and the main reason for this is mainly due to the amount of land that has been set aside for conservation of lions and other species," he told the BBC.

"We estimate that the lion population of 16,000 or 17,000 is well within the protected areas which are far from the reach of the conflict. So we will always have the lions as long as we can maintain the integrity of the boundaries of these protected areas.”

However, Dr Ikanda said education and conservation awareness was vital for the communities - along with a "diversification" of their livelihoods.

Ruaha national park in southern Tanzania is believed to be hosting more than 10 per cent of the world’s lion population.