Anthropogenic edge effects and aging errors by hunters can affect the sustainability of lion trophy hunting.

ABSTRACT: Many large predator populations are in decline globally with significant implications for ecosystem integrity and function. Understanding the drivers of their decline is required to adequately mitigate threats. Trophy hunting is often cited as a tool to conserve large mammal populations but may also have negative impacts if not well managed. Here we use a spatially implicit, individual based model to investigate the threats posed to African lion populations by poorly managed trophy hunting and additive anthropogenic mortality such as poaching and retaliatory killing. We confirm the results of previous studies that show that lion trophy hunting can be sustainable if only older male lions are hunted, but demonstrate that hunting becomes unsustainable when populations are exposed to additiona

SUBMITTER: Loveridge AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9837042 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature