A rare lioness and her cubs were caught on trail cameras in the Central African Republic, according to the Miami Herald.
The Wildlife Conservation Society has been monitoring the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park for years for lion activity. Though males have been spotted since 2019, females have not been, leading to a bleak outlook for population growth.
Wildlife Conservation Society workers were able to zero in on likely locations for lioness activity thanks to satellite imagery. From there, they installed trail cameras and eventually captured footage of a lactating female lion. This followed with the most recent footage of the lioness with three cubs estimated to be four months old. This is the first sighting of lion cubs in the region in decades, signaling hope for a return to healthy population numbers.
Lions in the Central African Republic have been subject to steep pressures from habitat loss, hunting, and retaliatory killings by farmers for livestock loss. WCS estimates that there are only a few dozen lions left in the region.
Trail cameras are a vital tool in gathering high-quality data on at-risk species. When an animal is elusive and has a low population, getting a bead on where it's moving and when can be challenging.
Using trail cameras is an unobtrusive technique that can help inform researchers without stressing wildlife. With better data, policymakers are equipped to put in place needed protections.
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Trail cameras have captured footage of elusive mountain lions in Nevada, Oklahoma, and Illinois.
The Wildlife Conservation Society has followed up on the footage in the Central African Republic with local action to protect the lioness' area and ensure the survival of the cubs.
"This is the payoff of years of relentless protection and patience," WCS Director Armand Luh Mfone said. "The CAR government, WCS, and partners have worked hard to secure this landscape against poaching and conflict. To see not just a lioness but a mother raising cubs gives hope that the ecosystem is healing."
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