11 March 2004
Life with some of the lions
A new study suggests that trophy-hunters in Africa can safeguard lion populations by shooting only male lions that have mostly black noses. As lions' noses grow darker with age, this ensures that only the oldest males are killed. This strategy would prevent prides from changing hands too frequently. When new males take over a pride, they usually kill the cubs to ensure that females devote themselves to raising new young. With high turnover rates, too many cubs are killed and the population declines. Quotas would be unnecessary as long as hunters take only males that are at least five years old. Trophy-hunters are generally only interested in older males with well-developed manes. Mane size and coloration are unreliable indicators of age, but males' noses become more freckled as they get older — Serengeti lions have 50% dark noses at the age of five — giving hunters a simple rule of thumb.
Sustainable trophy hunting of African lions
KARYL WHITMAN et al.
Nature 428, 175–178 (2004); doi:10.1038/nature02395
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