The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that between 22 000 to 25 000 lions remain in the wild. This is an estimated decline from ~33,000 lions in 2006 (IUCN 2006 a, b), a 30% loss in 17 years (i.e., less than three generations). Estimates are difficult to obtain because of lion cross border movement and dynamic expansion and contraction of populations in different regions. Nevertheless, the apparent decline is devastating having fallen from an estimated 200 000 a century ago, with lions now confined to about 15% of their former range. The distribution of lions across Africa is very uneven with Tanzania having 41% of the estimated total. Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya and Zambia are home to about 72% of the African lion population. (Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/lion-population-by-country).
“The silence of the African night is pregnant with the sounds of life – the chirping of insects, the distant roar of a lion, the haunting songs of nocturnal birds. It’s a symphony of the wild, a lullaby that speaks of nature’s timeless mystery,” Peter Matthiessen.
According to IUCN, the lion is assessed as Vulnerable under criterion A2abcd based on an estimated over 30% decline in the species’ range over three generations (approximately 21 years). Without major future intervention a similar population reduction is suspected. If the population loss continues on the current trajectory, wild lions in Africa could be extinct by 2050. The decline in West Africa has taken the population perilously close to extinction. It is thought that just 400 lions remain in three separate populations. The last count in Zakouma revealed a population of between 140 and 150 in the park emphasising why Zakouma is a crucially important protected area in this region and one of the most important in Africa.
“There is a silence in the imminence of animals and also in the echo of their noise, but the dread silence is the one that rises from a wilderness from which all the wild animals have gone.” ~ Peter Matthiessen
Zakouma National Park in Chad is a significant haven for West African lions. These lions are part of a genetically distinct, endangered population known as the Northern lion.
In February 2025, Zakouma partnered with a lion expert from the Lion Recovery Fund to develop a park-based lion monitoring protocol. This initiative aims to enhance the understanding of lion numbers, age distribution, and overall presence within the park.
We found this lone female lying in the shade in the late morning well away from any water. This is one of the unusual features of the Northern lion, it can often be found on its own in the park. There is plenty of small enough prey for a lion to catch on its own,
A lone male Northern lion lying in the shade. Our guide, Doug MacDonald, said this was a large specimen by Northern lion standards. This male was the size of a large female in southern Africa. The lions in this area are noticeably smaller than the lions you will find in the Kruger Park or the Kalahari.
Male Northern lions do not have big black manes as you would see on Kalahari male lions. There is a general acceptance that the colour, length and overall thickness of a lion’s mane is primarily determined by the local climate, with testosterone levels also playing a part. Lions have manes to make them appear bigger and to advertise their strength and fitness to competitors but this comes at a cost, because of their large size males are prone to heat stress. A few ideas have been postulated as to why the male Northern lions have minimal manes. One, it is extremely hot in Chad in the spring months so perhaps their manes are smaller due to reduce the heat stress. I have also seen this characteristic in the lions in Tsavo. Another factor might be that the level of lion competition which is substantially lower than would be the case in many of the southern African parks.
“A world without the distance roar of lions at dawn as the mist starts to lift is too terrible to contemplate.” ~ Dereck Joubert
A few days into our trip we found three lionesses lying in the shade next to the Salamat river. One lioness lay in the mudstone rocky outcome next to the water with her gaze fixed firmly on us in the game vehicle. This was probably a cool place for her in the rising heat in the late part of the morning.
The other two lionesses moved away to the other side of the river to keep an eye on us from a safe distance. The lionesses all looked to be in good condition suggesting no lack of prey in that area.
The lionesses did not seem to be afraid of us but just did not want us to get too close and as we approached the river they moved further along the river bank.
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” ~ John Muir
A lioness lying at the edge of the river in the shade of a large Tamarind tree with the fallen red leaves of the tree as her background.
There is no lack of prey for these lions. All they need to do is wait in the shade on the bank of a river or drying pool of water. The gallery of large trees provide plenty of cover for an ambush.
Despite the recovery of the population of many species in Zakouma in recent years, for some reason, the Northern lion numbers have not increased. There are several suggestions as to why this could be the case. Conditions in the park vary massively from the wet to dry season. During the rainy season the eastern section of the park floods forcing much of the wildlife to leave that part of the park. The lions probably follow and it is possible that they are persecuted by livestock owners during this time. During the dry season, water is limited to the series of pans and river courses in the east of the park. At this dry time the lions concentrate around the remaining water which must increase competition with the consequent effect on their numbers. Another suggestion is that the very high density of Olive baboons may result in high levels of lion cub mortality as baboons have been observed killing lion cubs left stashed in hiding places while their mothers are away hunting. The prevalence of this behaviour is unknown. The Lion Recovery Fund has provided African Parks with funds to study the lions to understand what is limiting growth of the population.
“Shallow ecology is anthropocentric, or human-centred. It views humans as above or outside nature, as the source of all value, and ascribes only instrumental, or ‘use’, value to nature. Deep ecology does not separate humans – or anything else – from the natural environment. It does see the world not as a collection of isolated objects but as a network of phenomena that are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent. Deep ecology recognises the intrinsic value of all human beings and views humans as just one particular strand in the web of life.” ~Fritjof Capra
We drove down into the southern part of the park in the late afternoon to find the quelea evening gatherings. On the way, as we crossed the Salamat river, we came across a small pride with three cubs which were probably three months old.
As we approached the adult lions by vehicle they just lay casually in the shade watching us but the cubs immediately ran for the river bank and clambered up it and out of sight in the trees at the top of the bank.
The lone male lion was interested in one of the females and walked over to her and exhibiting his flehmen response. The flehmen response in lions is a behavioural display where they curl their upper lip, lift their head, and inhale deeply, often while smelling urine or other scents. This action directs scent molecules to the vomeronasal organ (Jacobson’s organ), allowing lions to analyse chemical cues for information like reproductive status or individual recognition.
“Every animal can only tap into a small fraction of reality’s fullness. Each is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of an immense world. There is a wonderful word for this sensory bubble—Umwelt.” ~ Ed Yong
This lioness thwarted his advances without being too aggressive. The male’s sense of smell is crucial in determining the female’s readiness. He will frequently smell the female’s rump or areas where she has recently urinated to get a sense of her scent profile. Females let males know they are ready to mate by releasing a specific scent. Once the couple pairs up they will mate every 20-30 minutes around the clock sometimes for up to 5 days usually without eating.
A peaceful scene late in the afternoon down in the south of the park along the Salamat river. The shade and cool wet sand along the river bank must have been a welcome relief from the over 40 degree centigrade heat in Zakouma in March and April.
On our travels around the park we found bones of giraffe and buffalo. These remains suggested that the lions must have teamed up to hunt larger prey. It was also evident that the lions could easily hunt kob, tiang and hartebeest on their own which is probably why we found several lions on their own in the bush.
“The distant roar of a walking lion rolls against the stillness of the night, and we listen. It is the voice of Africa bringing memories that do not exist in our minds or in our hearts – perhaps not even in our blood. It is out of time, but it is there, and it spans a chasm whose other side we cannot see.”
~ Beryl Markham
The pride dynamics are very interesting in this park, unlike what we see in southern Africa. The pride appears to be a lot looser in structure. This is probably in response to lower lion numbers, ample food and the extreme seasons which cause the movement of prey. Although lions are usually territorial the looser dynamic appears could be affected by the vastness, availability of water and availability of prey.
This was just another one of the variations this park throws up. The deeper we delve into the behaviour and movement the more we see the overall environment has such a profound effect on the lion dynamics in this part of the world.
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.
Have fun, Mike