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98-550: In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Asiatic lion was recorded in Fars Province , Ramhormoz County , Shushtar County , Dezful County and along the Karun river. This Khuzestan province location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Asiatic lion This is an accepted version of this page The Asiatic lion is a lion population of

196-515: A British admiral claimed to have sighted a maneless lion near Quetta in Pakistan. He wrote "It was a large lion, very stocky, light tawny in colour, and I may say that no one of us three had the slightest doubt of what we had seen until, on our arrival at Quetta, many officers expressed doubts as to its identity, or to the possibility of there being a lion in the district." In Saurashtra 's Gir Forest, an area of 1,412.1 km (545.2 sq mi)

294-1021: A distinct species from the modern lion that diverged from them around 500,000 years ago and unrelated to modern Asian lions. Pleistocene fossils assigned as belonging or probably belonging to the modern lion have been reported from several sites in the Middle East, such as Shishan Marsh in the Azraq Basin, Jordan, dating to around 250,000 years ago, and Wezmeh Cave in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran, dating to around 70–10,000 years ago, with other reports from Pleistocene deposits in Nadaouiyeh Ain Askar and Douara Cave, Syria. In 1976, fossil lion remains were reported from Pleistocene deposits in West Bengal . A fossil carnassial excavated from Batadomba Cave indicates that lions inhabited Sri Lanka during

392-614: A merging of populations in East and South Africa . Homo naledi likely coexisted with modern humans in Africa about 300,000 years ago. The Kingdom of Mapungubwe (c. 1075–c. 1220) was one of the earliest state in the South African region. It was located at between the Shashe and Limpopo Rivers. The name is derived from either TjiKalanga and Tshivenda . The kingdom is thought to have existed as

490-1012: A probable centre in East and Southern Africa . It is likely that lions migrated from there to West Africa, eastern North Africa and via the periphery of the Arabian Peninsula into Turkey, southern Europe and northern India during the last 20,000 years. The Sahara , Congolian rainforests and the Great Rift Valley are natural barriers to lion dispersal . Genetic markers of 357 samples from captive and wild lions from Africa and India were examined. Results indicate four lineages of lion populations: one in Central and North Africa to Asia, one in Kenya , one in Southern Africa, and one in Southern and East Africa ;

588-602: A result the satellite lion population has been increasing since 1995. By 2015, the total population had grown to an estimated 523 individuals, inhabiting an area of 7,000 km (2,700 sq mi) in the Saurashtra region., comprising 109 adult males, 201 adult females and 213 cubs. The Asiatic Lion Census conducted in 2017 revealed about 650 individuals. By 2020, at least six satellite populations had spread to eight districts in Gujarat and live in human-dominated areas outside

686-401: A robust mining sector and comparatively developed secondary and tertiary sectors . Additionally many countries (with the exception of Mozambique and Malawi in particular) have relatively well developed infrastructure. Some of its main exports including platinum , diamonds , gold , copper , cobalt , chromium and uranium , Southern Africa still faces some of the problems that the rest of

784-447: A silvery sheen in certain lighting. Males have only moderate mane growth at the top of the head, so that their ears are always visible. The mane is scanty on the cheeks and throat, where it is only 10 cm (4 in) long. About half of Asiatic lions' skulls from the Gir forest have divided infraorbital foramina , whereas African lions have only one foramen on either side. The sagittal crest

882-407: A single subpopulation, and is thus vulnerable to extinction from unpredictable events, such as an epidemic or large forest fire. There are indications of poaching incidents in recent years, as well as reports that organized poacher gangs have switched attention from local Bengal tigers to the Gujarat lions. There have also been a number of drowning incidents, after lions fell into wells. Prior to

980-407: A small population of European ( Afrikaner , British , Portuguese Africans , etc.) and Asian descent ( Cape Malays , Indian South Africans , etc.) people in many southern African countries. Further information in the sections of Architecture of Africa : Further information in the sections of History of science and technology in Africa : Some key factors affecting the food security within

1078-715: A stronger pride together with their cubs. They share large carcasses among each other, but seldom with males. Female and male lions usually associate only for a few days when mating , but rarely live and feed together. Results of a radio telemetry study indicate that annual home ranges of male lions vary from 144 to 230 km (56 to 89 sq mi) in dry and wet seasons. Home ranges of females are smaller, varying between 67 and 85 km (26 and 33 sq mi). During hot and dry seasons, they favour densely vegetated and shady riverine habitats, where prey species also congregate. Coalitions of males defend home ranges containing one or more female prides. Together, they hold

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1176-488: A territory for a longer time than single lions. Males in coalitions of three to four individuals exhibit a pronounced hierarchy with one male dominating the others. The lions in Gir National Park are active at twilight and by night , showing a high temporal overlap with sambar ( Rusa unicolor ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) and nilgai ( Boselaphus tragocamelus ). In general, lions prefer large prey species within

1274-624: A weight range of 190 to 550 kg (420 to 1,210 lb), irrespective of their availability. Domestic cattle have historically been a major component of the Asiatic lions' diet in the Gir Forest. Inside Gir Forest National Park, lions predominantly kill chital ( Axis axis ), sambar deer, nilgai, cattle ( Bos taurus ), domestic water buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ), and less frequently wild boar. They most commonly kill chital, which weighs only around 50 kg (110 lb). They prey on sambar deer when

1372-596: Is 'सिंह' siṃhaḥ , which is also a name of Shiva and signifies the Leo of the Zodiac . The Sanskrit name of Sri Lanka is Sinhala meaning 'Abode of Lions'. Singapore derives its name from the Malay words singa 'lion' and pura 'city', which in turn is from the Sanskrit 'सिंह' siṃhaḥ and पुर pur , latter also meaning 'fortified town'. In Hindu mythology ,

1470-492: Is 24 months, unless cubs die due to infanticide by adult males or because of diseases and injuries. Cubs become independent at the age of about two years. Subadult males leave their natal pride latest at the age of three years and become nomads until they establish their own territory. Dominant males mate more frequently than their coalition partners. During a study carried out between December 2012 and December 2016, three females were observed switching mating partners in favour of

1568-491: Is a major food producer and exporter in the region. Data on agricultural production trends and food insecurity especially in term of food availability for Southern Africa is readily available through the Famine Early Warning Systems Network ( FEWS NET ) and Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) - Food, Agriculture and Nature Resource Directorate (FARN). However, this data might not fully capture

1666-508: Is home to a number of river systems; the Zambezi River is the most prominent. The Zambezi flows from the northwest corner of Zambia and western Angola to the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique . Along the way, it flows over Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe . Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world and a major tourist attraction for

1764-462: Is more strongly developed, and the post-orbital area is shorter than in African lions. Skull length in adult males ranges from 330–340 mm (13– 13 + 1 ⁄ 2  in), and in females, from 292–302 mm ( 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 11 + 7 ⁄ 8  in). It differs from the African lion by a larger tail tuft and less inflated auditory bullae . The most striking morphological character of

1862-495: Is set apart from other Sub-Saharan African regions because of its mineral resources, including copper, diamonds, gold, zinc, chromium, platinum, manganese, iron ore, and coal. Countries in Southern Africa are larger in geographic area, except three smaller landlocked states: Lesotho, Swaziland, and Malawi. The larger states- South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, and Angola—all have extensive mineral deposits. These widespread mineral resources make this one of

1960-461: Is similar in size to the Central African lion, and smaller than large African lions. An adult male Asiatic lion weighs 160.1 kg (353 lb) on average with the limit being 190 kg (420 lb); a wild female weighs 100 to 130 kg (220 to 285 lb). [1] Colour and development of manes in male lions varies between regions, among populations and with age of lions. In general,

2058-563: Is the dominant economy of the region. Generally, mining, agriculture, the public sector and tourism dominate the economies of Southern African countries, apart from South Africa which has mature and flourishing financial, retail, and construction sectors. Zimbabwe maintains a smaller banking and real estate sector along with what remains of its manufacturing industry, despite a protracted economic crisis . Most global banks have their regional offices for Southern Africa based in Johannesburg . Over

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2156-561: Is the symbol of Mahavira , the 24th and last Tirthankara in Jainism . Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa . No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme , the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community , and the physical geography definition based on the physical characteristics of the land. Defined by physical geography , Southern Africa

2254-629: Is thought that the Asiatic lion remained connected to North and Central African lions until gene flow was interrupted due to extinction of lions in Western Eurasia and the Middle East during the Holocene. Asiatic lions are less genetically diverse than African lions, which may be the result of a founder effect in the recent history of the remnant population in the Gir Forest. The Asiatic lion's fur ranges in colour from ruddy-tawny, heavily speckled with black, to sandy or buffish grey, sometimes with

2352-479: Is vegetated with acacia thorn savanna and receives about 650 mm (26 in) annual rainfall; rainfall in the west is higher at about 1,000 mm (39 in) per year. The lion population recovered from the brink of extinction to 411 individuals by 2010. In that year, approximately 105 lions lived outside the Gir forest, representing a quarter of the entire lion population. Dispersing sub-adults established new territories outside their natal prides, and as

2450-585: The Bushveld basin into South Africa. This extends southwest through the Witwatersrand and Northern Cape of South Africa toward the southern coast. Mining activity exists across the eastern region. Diamond mining is found in parts of Botswana and along the Namibian coast. Coal can also be found in central Mozambique, Zimbabwe and northeast South Africa. The climate of the region is broadly divided into subtropical in

2548-724: The Central Zoo Authority of India stopped breeding Indian-African cross lions stating that "hybrid lions have no conservation value and it is not worth to spend resources on them". Now only pure native Asiatic lions are bred in India. In 1972 the Sakkarbaug Zoo sold a pair of young pure-stock lions to the Fauna Preservation Society ; which decided they would be accommodated at the Jersey Wildlife Trust where it

2646-689: The Indian Rebellion of 1857 , a British officer shot 300 lions. The last lions of Gwalior and Rewah were shot in the 1860s. One lion was killed near Allahabad in 1866. The last lion of Mount Abu in Rajasthan was spotted in 1872. By the late 1870s, lions were extinct in Rajasthan. By 1880, no lion survived in Guna , Deesa and Palanpur districts, and only about a dozen lions were left in Junagadh district . By

2744-568: The Late Pleistocene . This population may have become extinct around 39,000 years ago, before the arrival of humans in Sri Lanka. Results of a phylogeographic analysis based on mtDNA sequences of lions from across the global range, including now extinct populations like Barbary lions, indicates that sub-Saharan African lions are phylogenetically basal to all modern lions. These findings support an African origin of modern lion evolution with

2842-701: The Southern African Bird Atlas Project , and Mammals of the Southern African Subregion . It is not used in political, economic, or human geography contexts because the definition cuts Mozambique in two. In the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, five states constitute Southern Africa: This definition excludes other countries in the region, and instead includes the Comoros, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mozambique, Réunion,

2940-514: The colonial territories led to the independence of new states of Angola and Mozambique as well as Southern Rhodesia , which declared independence as Zimbabwe in 1980. The denouement of South West Africa achieved independence as Namibia in 1990 and the black majority in South Africa took power after the democratic elections in 1994 , therefore ending the Apartheid regime. From the end of

3038-653: The 1820s between Shaka's half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana due to a succession dispute. Boer settlers began arriving northwards of the Orange River in the 1830s, which led to conflicts between the two peoples and resulted in the Battle of Blood River in 1838. The kingdom fell during the Anglo-Zulu War of the late 19th-century. In the aftermath of World War II , the colonial powers came under international pressure to decolonize. The transfer to an African majority, however,

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3136-454: The 1990s these industries have struggled in the face of globalization and cheaper imports from China , leading to job losses particularly in heavy industry , gold mining and textiles . Zimbabwe in particular has seen significant deindustrialization as a result of factors both domestic and foreign. While colonialism has left its mark on the development over the course of history, today poverty , corruption , and HIV / AIDS are some of

3234-449: The 19th century, several zoologists described lion zoological specimen from other parts of Asia that used to be considered synonyms of P. l. persica : In 2017, the Asiatic lion was subsumed to P. l. leo due to close morphological and molecular genetic similarities with Barbary lion specimens. However, several scientists continue using P. l. persica for the Asiatic lion. A standardised haplogroup phylogeny supports that

3332-472: The Asiatic lion differs from the African lion by a less developed mane. The manes of most lions in ancient Greece and Asia Minor were also less developed and did not extend to below the belly, sides or ulnas . Lions with such smaller manes were also known in the Syrian region , Arabian Peninsula and Egypt . The confirmed record total length of a male Asiatic lion is 2.92 m (9 ft 7 in), including

3430-454: The Asiatic lion is a longitudinal fold of skin running along its belly. Males have a shoulder height of up to 107–120 cm (42–47 in), and females of 80–107 cm ( 31 + 1 ⁄ 2 –42 in). Two lions in Gir Forest measured 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) from head to body with a 0.79–0.89 m (31–35 in) long tail of and total lengths of 2.82–2.87 m (9 ft 3 in – 9 ft 5 in). The Gir lion

3528-466: The Asiatic lion is not a distinct subspecies, and that it represents a haplogroup of the northern P. l. leo . Lions first left Africa at least 700,000 years ago, giving rise to the Eurasian Panthera fossilis which later evolved into Panthera spelaea (commonly known as the cave lion), which became extinct around 14,000 years ago. Genetic analysis of P. spelaea indicates that it represented

3626-558: The Asiatic lion was published in 1826 by the Austrian zoologist Johann N. Meyer, who named it Felis leo persicus . The population has steadily increased since 2010. In 2015, the 14th Asiatic Lion Census was conducted over an area of about 20,000 km (7,700 sq mi); the lion population was estimated at 523 individuals, and in 2017 at 650 individuals. Felis leo persicus was the scientific name proposed by Johann N. Meyer in 1826 who described an Asiatic lion skin from Persia . In

3724-484: The Gir Conservation Area, a 1,452 km (561 sq mi) large forest block that represents the core habitat of the lion population. The other two sanctuaries Mitiyala and Girnar protect satellite areas within dispersal distance of the Gir Conservation Area. An additional sanctuary is being established in the nearby Barda Wildlife Sanctuary to serve as an alternative home for lions. The drier eastern part

3822-421: The Gir Conservation Area. The population of 24,250 domestic livestock in the 1970s declined to 12,500 by the mid-1980s, but increased to 23,440 animals in 2010. Following changes in both predator and prey communities, Asiatic lions shifted their predation patterns. Today, very few livestock kills occur within the sanctuary, and instead most occur in peripheral villages. Depredation records indicate that in and around

3920-577: The Gir Forest, lions killed on average 2,023 livestock annually between 2005 and 2009, and an additional 696 individuals in satellite areas. Dominant males consume about 47% more from kills than their coalition partners. Aggression between partners increases when coalitions are large, but kills are small. Asiatic lions mate foremost between October and November. Mating lasts three to six days. During these days, they usually do not hunt, but only drink water. Gestation lasts about 110 days. Litters comprise one to four cubs. The average interval between births

4018-524: The Indian Board for Wildlife accepted a proposal by the Government of Uttar Pradesh to establish a new sanctuary for the envisaged reintroduction, Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary , covering 96 km (37 sq mi) in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where climate, terrain and vegetation is similar to the conditions in the Gir Forest. In 1957, one male and two female wild-caught Asiatic lions were set free in

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4116-774: The June–August rainfall maximum in the western cape. Year-to-year variability in rainfall, including drought, is associated with changes in global and regional sea surface temperatures . These include the El Nino Southern Oscillation , the Subtropical Indian Ocean Dipole , and changes in the Benguela Current region in the southeast Atlantic. Future climate projections suggest that much of southern Africa will get hotter and drier in response to global climate change. East and southern Africa are among

4214-713: The Middle Ages in Ukraine. The Asiatic lion used to occur in Arabia , the Levant , Mesopotamia and Baluchistan . In South Caucasia , it was known since the Holocene and became extinct in the 10th century. Until the middle of the 19th century, it survived in regions adjoining Mesopotamia and Syria , and was still sighted in the upper reaches of the Euphrates River in the early 1870s. By

4312-518: The SADC members. The terrain of Southern Africa is varied, ranging from forest and grasslands to deserts . The region has both low-lying coastal areas, and mountains. In terms of natural resources, the region has the world's largest resources of platinum and the platinum group elements, chromium , vanadium , and cobalt , as well as uranium , gold , copper , titanium , iron , manganese , silver , beryllium , and diamonds . Southern Africa

4410-746: The SADC region and ensures sustainable energy developments through sound economic, environmental and social practices. The main objective of the power pool is to develop a world class, robust and safe interconnected electrical system across the Southern African Region. According to a report by Southern Africa Power Pool, the three largest producers of electricity in Southern Africa as at 2017, include Eskom in South Africa with an estimated 46,963MW, Zesco in Zambia with 2,877MW and SNL of Angola with 2,442MW. Whilst moderately successful by African standards,

4508-746: The SSP consisted of animals with high inbreeding coefficients. In the early 1990s, three European zoos imported pure Asiatic lions from India: London Zoo obtained two pairs; the Zürich Zoologischer Garten one pair; and the Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki one male and two females. In 1994, the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for Asiatic lions was initiated. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) published

4606-877: The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (as a part of the French Southern Territories ), Zambia, and Zimbabwe in Eastern Africa , Angola in Middle Africa (or Central Africa), and Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha (under the name Saint Helena) in Western Africa , instead. Some atlases include Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in Central Africa instead of Southern or Eastern Africa. The Southern African Customs Union , created in 1969, also comprises

4704-706: The South African border. There are numerous environmental issues in Southern Africa , including air pollution and desertification . Southern Africa is home to many people. It was initially populated by San , Hottentots and Pygmies in widely dispersed concentrations. Due to the Bantu expansion , the majority of African ethnic groups in this region, including the Xhosa , Zulu , Tsonga , Swazi , Northern Ndebele , Southern Ndebele , Tswana , Sotho , Pedi , Mbundu , Ovimbundu , Shona , Chaga and Sukuma , speak Bantu languages . The process of colonization and settling resulted in

4802-584: The Western Cape in South Africa, the major rainfall season is during the southern-hemisphere summer, from December to February. In the Western Cape , the rainfall maximum occurs from June through August. There are a number of important rainfall-producing weather systems in southern Africa. These include tropical-extra-tropical cloud bands, tropical lows, and tropical cyclones , cut-off lows , and mesoscale convective systems . Winter midlatitude storms account for

4900-405: The Zambezi and Limpopo river valleys, probably due to the lower altitude. The Western Cape has a Mediterranean vegetation and climate, including the unique fynbos , grading eastward into an oceanic climate along the Garden Route to Gqeberha and East London . The Namib and Kalahari deserts form arid lands in the centre-west, separating the highlands, woodlands, croplands, and pastures of

4998-491: The biggest factors impeding economic growth. In addition, South Africa and Zimbabwe in particular, face high emigration among their skilled workers leading to a significant brain drain to western economies and billions lost in human capital flight . The pursuit of economic and political stability is an important part of the region's goals, as demonstrated by the SADC, however complete regional integration remains an elusive target. In terms of economic strength, South Africa

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5096-721: The captive Asiatic lion stock. Once discovered, this led to the complete shutdown of the European and American endangered species breeding programs for Asiatic lions, as its founder animals were captive-bred Asiatic lions originally imported from India and were ascertained to be intraspecific hybrids of African and Asian lions. In North American zoos, several Indian-African lion crosses were inadvertently bred, and researchers noted that "the fecundity, reproductive success, and spermatozoal development improved dramatically." DNA fingerprinting studies of Asiatic lions have helped in identifying individuals with high genetic variability , which can be used for conservation breeding programs. In 2006,

5194-444: The continent does. Despite this, diamond production has fueled the economies of Botswana and Namibia, for example. Over the 20th century, the region developed a robust manufacturing sector, focused on South Africa and Zimbabwe, which allowed greater prosperity and investments into infrastructure, education and healthcare that elevated both nations into middle income economies and captured growing markets across Africa. However, since

5292-412: The country. The advent and increasing availability of firearms led to its local extirpation over large areas. Heavy hunting by British colonial officers and Indian rulers caused a steady and marked decline of lion numbers in the country. Lions were exterminated in Palamau by 1814, in Baroda State , Hariana and Ahmedabad district in the 1830s, in Kot Diji and Damoh district in the 1840s. During

5390-461: The dominant male. Monitoring of more than 70 mating events showed that females mated with males of several rivaling prides that shared their home ranges, and that these males were tolerant toward the same cubs. Only new males that entered the female territories killed unfamiliar cubs. Young females mated foremost with males within their home ranges. Older females selected males at the periphery of their home ranges. The Asiatic lion currently exists as

5488-414: The earliest regions where modern humans (Homo sapiens) and their predecessors are believed to have lived. In September 2019, scientists reported the computerized determination, based on 260 CT scans , of a virtual skull shape of the last common human ancestor to modern humans , representative of the earliest modern humans, and suggested that modern humans arose between 350,000 and 260,000 years ago through

5586-600: The expansion of supermarkets in the region, which is changing the way people obtain food in the city, rural-to-urban migration, unemployment, and poverty. The issue of food insecurity in general and urban food insecurity in particular in the region is also characterized by an increased consumption of caloric junk food and processed foods leading to potential increase in the co-existence of undernutrition and dietary-related chronic diseases such as obesity and hypertension. In South Africa for example, while over 50% experience hunger, 61% are overweight or morbidly obese. There

5684-496: The first European Studbook in 1999. By 2005, there were 80 Asiatic lions kept in the EEP — the only captive population outside of India. As of 2009, more than 100 Asiatic lions were kept within the EEP. The SSP had not resumed; pure-bred Asiatic lions are needed to form a new founder population for breeding in American zoos. Neolithic cave paintings of lions were found in Bhimbetka rock shelters in central India, which are at least 30,000 years old. The Sanskrit word for 'lion'

5782-433: The first class-based social system within the region. Society was mainly centered around family and farming. The kingdom would culminate to the Kingdom of Zimbabwe in the 13th century. And at its height the capital's population was about 5000 people. There are no written records from the kingdom and what historians and archeologists know of the state is from the remains of buildings. The Kingdom of Zimbabwe (c. 1220–1450)

5880-426: The first wave of lion expansion probably occurred about 118,000 years ago from East Africa into West Asia , and the second wave in the late Pleistocene or early Holocene periods from Southern Africa towards East Africa. The Asiatic lion is genetically closer to North and West African lions than to the group comprising East and Southern African lions. The two groups probably diverged about 186,000–128,000 years ago. It

5978-551: The five states in the UN subregion of Southern Africa. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was established in 1980 to facilitate co-operation in the region. It includes: Other than the UN subregion, these countries and territories are often included in Southern Africa: The Democratic Republic of the Congo is generally included in Central Africa, while Seychelles and Tanzania are more commonly associated with Eastern Africa, but these three countries have occasionally been included in Southern Africa, as they are

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6076-420: The half man half lion avatar Narasimha is the fourth incarnation of Vishnu . Simhamukha is a lion-faced protector and dakini in Tibetan Buddhism . In the 18th book of the Mahabharata , Bharata deprives lions of their prowess. The lion plays a prominent role in The Fables of Pilpay that were translated into Persian , Greek and Hebrew languages between the 8th and 12th centuries. The lion

6174-525: The island country of Madagascar is often not included due to its distinct language and cultural heritage. In physical geography , the geographical delineation for the subregion is the portion of Africa south of the Cunene and Zambezi Rivers: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the part of Mozambique that lies south of the Zambezi River. That definition is most often used in South Africa for natural sciences and particularly in guidebooks such as Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa ,

6272-412: The late 19th century, it had become extinct in Saudi Arabia and Turkey . The last known lion in Iraq was killed on the lower Tigris in 1918. Historical records in Iran indicate that it ranged from the Khuzestan Plain to Fars Province at elevations below 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in steppe vegetation and pistachio - almond woodlands. It was widespread in the country, but in the 1870s, it

6370-403: The latter descend from the hills during summer. Outside the protected area where wild prey species do not occur, lions prey on water buffalo and cattle, and rarely on dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius ). They generally kill most prey less than 100 m (330 ft) away from water bodies, charge prey from close range and drag carcasses into dense cover. They regularly visit specific sites within

6468-439: The north and temperate in the south, but also includes humid-subtropical , Mediterranean-climate , highland-subtropical , oceanic, desert, and semi-arid regions. Except for lower parts of Zambia and interior areas of Namibia and Botswana, the region rarely suffers from extreme heat. In addition, the winter presents mostly as mild and dry, except in the southwest. Cool southeasterly winds and high humidity bring cool conditions in

6566-462: The other in the south ( Kingdom of Butua from 1450–1683) which was a smaller entity than the former two, the kingdom was governed by the Torwa dynasty and its capital was situated at Khami . Both states would eventually be absorbed by the powerful Shona state, the Rozwi Empire by 1683. The economy was based on cattle herding, farming, and gold mining. The empire lasted until 1866, which came after droughts and instability. The Mthethwa Paramountcy

6664-408: The period of colonial rule, imperial interests controlled the economies of the region and South Africa became the dominant economic power in the late 20th century. The 21st century has seen attempts to create unity among nations in Southern Africa. In spite of democracy, violence , inequality and poverty still persist throughout the region. The region is distinct from the rest of Africa, with

6762-408: The presence of predators a benefit, as they keep the herbivore population in check. But some also fear the lions, and killed several in retaliation for attacks on livestock. In July 2012, a lion dragged a man from the veranda of his house and killed him about 50–60 km (31–37 miles) from Gir Forest National Park. This was the second attack by a lion in this area, six months after a 25-year-old man

6860-775: The protected area network. 104 lived near the coastline. Lions living along the coast, as well as those between the coastline and the Gir forest, have larger individual ranges. During the Holocene, from around 6,500 years ago and possibly as early as 8,000 years ago, modern lions colonised Southeast Europe (including modern Bulgaria and Greece in the Balkans ), as well as parts of Central Europe like Hungary and Ukraine in Eastern Europe. Analysis of remains of these European lions suggests that they do not differ from those of modern Asiatic lions, and they should be assigned to this population. Historical records suggest that lions became extinct in Europe during Classical antiquity , though it has been suggested that they may have survived as late as

6958-737: The protected area to scavenge on dead livestock dumped by Maldhari livestock herders. During dry, hot months, they also prey on mugger crocodiles ( Crocodylus palustris ) on the banks of Kamleshwar Dam . In 1974, the Forest Department estimated the wild ungulate population at 9,650 individuals. In the following decades, the wild ungulate population has grown consistently to 31,490 in 1990 and 64,850 in 2010, including 52,490 chital, 4,440 wild boar, 4,000 sambar, 2,890 nilgai, 740 chinkara ( Gazella bennetti ), and 290 four-horned antelope ( Tetracerus quadricornis ). In contrast, populations of domestic buffalo and cattle declined following resettlement, largely due to direct removal of resident livestock from

7056-782: The reality of a region with large urban populations and where food insecurity goes beyond per-capita availability to issues of access and dietary adequacy. Urban food security has been noted as an emerging area of concern in the region, with recent data showing high levels of food insecurity amongst low-income households. In a study of eleven cities in nine countries: Blantyre , Cape Town , Gaborone , Harare , Johannesburg , Lusaka , Maputo , Manzini , Maseru , Durban , and Windhoek , only 17% of households were categorized as 'food-secure' while more than half (57%) of all households surveyed were found to be 'severely food-insecure'. Some factors affecting urban food insecurity include climate change with potential impact on agricultural productivity,

7154-679: The region largely lags behind their Asian counterparts in innovation, foreign direct investment, STEM sciences and research and development . Southern Africa has a wide diversity of ecoregions including grassland , bushveld , karoo , savannah and riparian zones . Even though considerable disturbance has occurred in some regions from habitat loss due to human population density or export-focused development, there remain significant numbers of various wildlife species, including white rhino , lion , African leopard , impala , kudu , blue wildebeest , vervet monkey and elephant . It has complex Plateaus that create massive mountain structures along

7252-553: The region. Southern Africa includes both subtropical and temperate climates, with the Tropic of Capricorn running through the middle of the region, dividing it into its subtropical and temperate halves. Countries commonly included in Southern Africa include Angola , Botswana , the Comoros , Eswatini , Lesotho , Madagascar , Malawi , Mauritius , Mozambique , Namibia , South Africa , Zambia , and Zimbabwe . In cultural geography ,

7350-909: The regions including political instability, poor governance, droughts, population growth, urbanisation, poverty, low economic growth, inadequate agricultural policies, trade terms and regimes, resource degradation and the recent increase in HIV/AIDS . These factors vary from country to country. For example, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has favourable climatic and physical conditions, but performs far below its capacity in food provision due to political instability and poor governance. In contrast, semi-arid countries such as Botswana and Namibia, produce insufficient food, but successfully achieve food security through food imports due to economic growth, political stability and good governance. The Republic of South Africa

7448-632: The relocation, since it would make the Gir Sanctuary lose its status as the world's only home of the Asiatic lion. Gujarat raised a number of objections to the proposal, and thus the matter went before the Indian Supreme Court . In April 2013, the Indian Supreme Court ordered the Gujarat state to send some of their Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh to establish a second population there. The court had given wildlife authorities six months to complete

7546-508: The resettlement of Maldharis, the Gir forest was heavily degraded and used by livestock, which competed with and restricted the population sizes of native ungulates. Various studies reveal tremendous habitat recovery and increases in wild ungulate populations following the resettlement of Maldharis since the 1970s. Nearly 25 lions in the vicinity of Gir Forest were found dead in October 2018. Four of them had died because of canine distemper virus ,

7644-490: The same virus that had also killed several lions in the Serengeti . Since the mid 1990s, the Asiatic lion population has increased to an extent that by 2015, about a third resided outside the protected area. Hence, conflict between local residents and wildlife also increased. Local people protect their crops from nilgai, wild boar, and other herbivores by using electrical fences that are powered with high voltage. Some consider

7742-536: The sanctuary. This population comprised 11 animals in 1965, which all disappeared thereafter. The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project to find an alternative habitat for reintroducing Asiatic lions was pursued in the early 1990s. Biologists from the Wildlife Institute of India assessed several potential translocation sites for their suitability regarding existing prey population and habitat conditions. The Palpur- Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Madhya Pradesh

7840-800: The subspecies Panthera leo leo . Until the 19th century, it occurred in Saudi Arabia , eastern Turkey , Iran , Mesopotamia , and from east of the Indus River in Pakistan to the Bengal region and the Narmada River in Central India . Since the turn of the 20th century, its range has been restricted to Gir National Park and the surrounding areas in the Indian state of Gujarat . The first scientific description of

7938-548: The tail. Emperor Jahangir allegedly speared a lion in the 1620s that measured 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in) and weighed 306 kg (675 lb). In 1841, English traveller Austen Henry Layard accompanied hunters in Khuzestan , Iran, and sighted a lion which "had done much damage in the plain of Ram Hormuz ," before one of his companions killed it. He described it as being "unusually large and of very dark brown colour", with some parts of its body being almost black. In 1935,

8036-420: The transfer. The number of lions and which ones to be transported will be decided at a later date. As of now, the plan to shift lions to Kuno is in jeopardy, with Madhya Pradesh having apparently given up on acquiring lions from Gujarat. In 1977, Iran attempted to restore its lion population by transporting Gir lions to Arzhan National Park , but the project met resistance from the local population, and thus it

8134-467: The turn of the century, the Gir Forest held the only Asiatic lion population in India, which was protected by the Nawab of Junagarh in his private hunting grounds. Male Asiatic lions are solitary, or associate with up to three males, forming a loose pride . Pairs of males rest, hunt and feed together, and display marking behaviour at the same sites. Females associate with up to twelve other females, forming

8232-417: The two hill systems of Gir and Girnar that comprise Gujarat's largest tracts of tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests , thorny forest and savanna, and provide valuable habitat for a diverse flora and fauna. Five protected areas currently exist to protect the Asiatic lion: Gir Sanctuary, Gir National Park, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary, and Girnar Sanctuary. The first three protected areas form

8330-584: The wealthiest regions of Africa with the greatest potential for economic growth . A chain of mineral resources in Southern Africa stretches from the rich oil fields in northwest Angola, east through the central diamond-mining region in Huambo Province , and into the Copper Belt region of Zambia and Congo. A region of rich mineral deposits continues to the south called the Great Dyke in central Zimbabwe, through

8428-647: The wetter and higher East from the Atlantic Ocean . In addition, the Drakensberg and Eastern Highlands separate the highland areas and coastal plains centred on Mozambique in the north and KwaZulu-Natal in the south, the latter of which are often prone to flooding every few years. In the east, the river systems of the Zambezi and Limpopo basin form natural barriers and sea lanes between Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Across most of southern Africa, apart from

8526-499: The winter. The Namib Desert is the driest area in the region. Altitude plays an outsize role in moderating the temperatures of the South African Highveld , Lesotho , and much of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The prairie region of central and northeast South Africa, the country of Zimbabwe, and parts of Zambia are known as the veldt , divided into the Bushveld and Highveld . There are high temperatures and low rainfall within

8624-493: The years, some the other Southern African nations have invested in economic diversification, and invested public funds into rail, road and air transportation as part of a concerted effort through SADC to boost regional trade and improve communication and transportation. The countries in this region also belong to the Southern Africa Power Pool, which facilitates the development of a competitive electricity market within

8722-516: Was a Shona ( Karanga ) kingdom in what is today Zimbabwe . The capital, which sits near present-day Masvingo , is located at Great Zimbabwe , which are the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa. This kingdom came after the collapse of the Kingdom of Mapungubwe. During the decline of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, two powers emerged, one in the north ( Kingdom of Mutapa from 1430–1760) which had improved on Zimbabwe's administrative structure; and

8820-415: Was an African state that emerged in the late 18th-century in the region of present-day KwaZulu-Natal . The state was consolidated and extended under the rule of Dingiswayo who produced a disciplined and highly organised army for the first time in the region. The Zulu Kingdom rose under the leadership of Shaka and covered most of present-day KwaZulu-Natal in the 19th century. Internal conflict arose in

8918-536: Was attacked and killed in Dhodadar. Panthera leo persica was included on CITES Appendix I , and is fully protected in India, where it is considered endangered . In the 1950s, biologists advised the Indian government to re-establish at least one wild population in the Asiatic lion's former range to ensure the population's reproductive health and to prevent it from being affected by an outbreak of an epidemic . In 1956,

9016-438: Was complicated by the settlement of white peoples . After an initial phase from 1945 to 1958, as a consolidation of white power, decolonization succeeded in its achievement when High Commission territories and overseas departments such as Zambia , Malawi , Botswana , Lesotho , Mauritius , Swaziland , Madagascar and the Comoros became independent states from British and French rule. The brutal struggle for independence in

9114-444: Was declared as a sanctuary for Asiatic lion conservation in 1965. This sanctuary and the surrounding areas are the only habitats supporting the Asiatic lion. After 1965, a national park was established covering an area of 258.71 km (99.89 sq mi) where human activity is not allowed. In the surrounding sanctuary only Maldharis have the right to take their livestock for grazing. Lions inhabit remnant forest habitats in

9212-735: Was found on the banks of the Karun River in Iran's Khuzestan Province . In India, the Asiatic lion occurred in Sind , Bahawalpur , Punjab , Gujarat, Rajasthan , Haryana , Bihar and eastward as far as Palamau and Rewa, Madhya Pradesh in the early 19th century. It once ranged to Bangladesh in the east and up to Narmada River in the south. Because of the lion's restricted distribution in India, Reginald Innes Pocock assumed that it arrived from Europe, entering southwestern Asia through Balochistan only recently, before humans started limiting its dispersal in

9310-489: Was hoped to begin a captive breeding programme. The Asiatic lion International Studbook was initiated in 1977, followed in 1983 by the North American Species Survival Plan (SSP). The North American population of captive Asiatic lions was composed of descendants of five founder lions, three of which were pure Asian and two were African or African-Asian hybrids . The lions kept in the framework of

9408-629: Was not implemented. However, this did not stop Iran from seeking to bring back the lion. In February 2019, Tehran Zoological Garden obtained a male Asiatic lion from Bristol Zoo in the United Kingdom, followed in June by a female from Dublin Zoo . There are hopes for them to successfully reproduce. Until the late 1990s, captive Asiatic lions in Indian zoos were haphazardly interbred with African lions confiscated from circuses, leading to genetic pollution in

9506-505: Was ranked as the most promising location, followed by Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary and Darrah National Park . Until 2000, 1,100 families from 16 villages had been resettled from the Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, and another 500 families from eight villages were expected to be resettled. With this resettlement scheme the protected area was expanded by 345 km (133 sq mi). Gujarat state officials resisted

9604-515: Was sighted only on the western slopes of the Zagros Mountains , and in the forest regions south of Shiraz . It served as the national emblem and appeared on the country's flag. Some of the country's last lions were sighted in 1941 between Shiraz and Jahrom in Fars Province, and in 1942, a lion was spotted about 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Dezful . In 1944, the corpse of a lioness

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