Conservationists are celebrating the unexpected sighting of a lion in Chad, where the species was believed to have disappeared.
A lioness was photographed in Sena Oura National Park, where lions had not been seen since 2004. A team discovered the Chad government and the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which released the image.
Luke Hunter, executive director of WCS’s Big Cat Program, described the lioness as a healthy adult, estimated to be around five years old. “I am sure she is not alone,” Hunter told the BBC, adding that the lioness was in prime condition.
The photograph was taken by a remote camera in February and made public on Thursday. Hunter explained that the presence of a prime female is significant, as such lions typically reside in areas with sufficient prey and safe conditions to raise their young.
He suggested that this could be an early sign of a potential lion recovery in a nearby national park in Cameroon.
Back in 2014, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared lions extinct in Sena Oura.
The region had suffered from heavy poaching over a decade ago, but both Chad and Cameroon have since reinforced conservation efforts, improving protection for their national parks. These efforts are beginning to show results, as wildlife populations slowly recover.
Hunter noted that there are an estimated 22,000 to 24,000 lions left in the wild, with most belonging to the southern lion subspecies found in southern and eastern Africa.
However, fewer than 1,000 northern lions remain in central and west Africa, making them particularly endangered and valuable.
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