West African lions can be saved from extinction. Here's how

Florence,a west African lioness,has given birth to three cubs,raising hopes that the critically endangered lions can be saved from extinction. In the Niokolo-Koba national park in Senegal, just 29 west African lions remain in the forests that surround the tributary to the Gambia River, where they are threatened by poaching and habitat loss caused by farming, according to a report by the Guardian.

Footage of Florence and her three cubs has given conservationists hope oftheir survival. Photographs show the lioness caring for her cubs,two males and one female, in February. As per scientists, the park can support about 200 critically endangered lions.

The Guardian report said that the cubs are part of a growing population in Niokolo-Koba, up from 10-15 individuals in 2011 before conservation efforts from Senegalese authorities and Panthera (global wild cat conservation organisation) began five years later. Scientists feared that Florence might have been poached after her GPS collar stopped functioning. They placed camera traps where the lioness was last seen.

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Scientists discovered that Florence had been caring for the cubs in a densely forested part of the national park.

Alongside the new cubs, scientists also spotted another lioness that had been injured by porcupine quills and faced death. The quills were removed, and footage showed she was healthy, giving hope of a further expansion of the population, the report added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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