Methods for lion monitoring: a comparison from the Selous Game Reserve,Tanzania

The Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is believed to contain Africa's largest population of lions (Panthera leo), making it a popular destination for trophy hunters and photographic tourists. However, a lack of recent data has raised concerns about the conservation status of this iconic population, so we collected two types of population data between 2006 and 2009. First, we identified 112 individual animals in an 800 km² study area in the photographic tourism part of Selous, giving a density of 0.14 individuals km^?2. This density estimate was similar to results using the same method from 1997 to 1999, but the adult sex ratio has decreased from 1 male : 1.3 female in 1997 to 1 male : 3 females in 2009. Second, using buffalo calf distress calls, we conducted call‐up surveys to census lions in three hunting sectors in the west, east and south of Selous and in the northern photographic area. Estimated adult lion densities varied from 0.02 to 0.10 km^?2, allowing an overall population estimate of 4,300 (range: 1,700–6,900). Our results highlight the value of call‐ups in surveying cryptic hunted carnivores but stress the importance of long‐term projects for calibrating the responses to call‐ups and for measuring trends in demography and population size.     

Hotspot elephant‐poaching areas in the Eastern Selous Game Reserve,Tanzania

Elephant poaching is a significant problem in many parts of Africa, including Tanzania. This study identifies areas within the Eastern Selous Game Reserve (ESGR) that are at a higher risk of elephant poaching for the illegal ivory trade. We obtained data on the distribution of poached elephants and the seasons of poaching from 2008 to 2013 from the elephant mortality database of the Selous Game Reserve in the eastern and north‐eastern sectors. The incidences of poaching were higher during the wet season. The hot spots of elephant poaching were observed on the edges of the ESGR. This finding was attributed to the involvement of local people adjacent to the ESGR in poaching activities due to a lack of economic opportunities. This study will serve as a tool to guide and inform reserve managers involved in wildlife conservation in Tanzania. Recommended solutions to address the problem of elephant poaching are improved economic opportunities for local people, enhanced conservation education and research and improved governance and law enforcement.