Within a few minutes of starting a morning game drive, I came across these two lions as they made their way out of the forest in searched of some breakfast. Lion, leopard and hyena numbers within Queen Elizabeth National Park have drastically declined in recent years due to suspected poisoning and poaching by local herdsmen, whose cattle are periodically killed by the carnivores. Efforts are underway to reduce the losses of cattle by these animals and to reduce the amount of poaching that occurs within and adjacent to the park. Decreasing populations of lions is not unique to QENP, as the species is now considered threatened throughout the continent.
Owen Slater Photography 