Five decades of research & conservation on African lions

After conducting extensive research on the origins of sociality and the evolution of the lion's mane, my research has become increasingly focused on the challenges of lion conservation. Lions are particularly difficult because of their enormous land requirements and the profound threat they pose to local people. Our conservation activities have inevitably involved engagement with national governments in reforming lion trophy hunting and with local communities in providing vaccination services for domestic dogs, protecting livestock from lion attacks, and facilitating grassland restoration in overgrazed pastures. Lion conservation requires large-scale efforts that may produce mixed results and unintended consequences, so it is essential to measure impacts and consider whether short-term successes will endure in the long-term.