Living with lions(esearchers were called by some excited h...)

Date:10/24/2007

esearchers were called by some excited herdsmen, who reported an attack by lions. The group headed to the scene just outside of the village, only about a kilometre from where the interview was taking place, and found three dead sheep and a calf, with clear bite marks in their necks. One of the herdsmen explained:

We tried to chase away the lions, but they werent impressed and only moved a bit further away from us, where they grabbed another sheep. Thats how they do it, they just kill. Theyve taken one sheep with them, but the calf and the other three sheep were killed for nothing. We cant eat the meat, as Muslim traditions require animals to be killed by a Muslim

The research team recommended that herding methods could be changed in order to decrease the livestock losses, such as by having protective thorn enclosures, called bomas, or more herdsmen, as dogs for guarding livestock are not a suitable alternative in this Islamic part of Cameroon. Lion predation is a common phenomenon in the area, and people have accommodated these violent encounters in their day-to-day life, and apparently make a trade-off between the extra benefits of living closer to the national park, and the increased risk of losing animals to lions.

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Contact: Davina Quarterman davina.quarterman@oxon.blackwellpublishing.com 01-865-476-307 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Source:Eurekalert

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