海角大神

Conservationists聽confirmed聽the聽existence聽of聽lions聽in a聽remote聽national聽park聽in聽Ethiopia, a聽rare聽piece聽of good聽news聽for a threatened聽species聽whose聽numbers聽have聽plunged聽in many聽parts聽of聽Africa, a wildlife charity said Monday.

The discovery was made in Alatash聽National聽Park聽in northwest聽Ethiopia, on the border with Sudan, the Britain-based Born Free Foundation said in a statement.

Conservationists聽obtained camera trap images of聽lions聽and also identified lion聽tracks,聽confirming聽reports from local residents that聽lions聽were in the area, it said.

Born Free funded the research, which was carried out by a team led by Hans Bauer. He works for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University in Britain. Ethiopian聽conservationists聽were also involved.

In a report, Bauer also concluded there are聽lions聽in the adjacent Dinder National聽Park聽in Sudan. He estimated a population of 100 to 200聽lions聽in the "entire ecosystem," of which between 27 and 54 are in Alatash聽park, according to the report.

It said the聽park聽has never been visited by tourists and that its tourism potential is low, "mainly due to聽remoteness, climate, occasional insecurity and low probability of observing flagship聽species聽of wildlife."

Africa's聽lion聽population has declined from up to 500,000 early in the 1900s, down to less than 200,000 by the middle of the century, and now as few as 20,000 remaining in the wild, according to estimates. The drop in聽numbers is due to the loss of habitat and prey, as well as growing conflicts with people trying to protect their livestock.

The welfare of聽lions聽came under increased scrutiny last year when an American dentist killed a well-known聽lion聽named Cecil in Zimbabwe in what authorities there said was an illegal hunt. The case prompted an international outcry and renewed debate about the ethics of hunting threatened聽species.

A few聽rare聽Abyssinian聽lions聽are still kept at the Ethiopian聽national聽palace in the capital, Addis Ababa, and U.S. President Barack Obama was taken to visit them during a trip to聽Ethiopia聽last year. The聽lions, which have black manes, have long been associated with聽Ethiopia's聽former imperial dynasty and still appear on the local currency.

Claudio Sillero, deputy director of the wildlife research group at Oxford University, said it was particularly rewarding to聽confirm聽the presence of聽lions in聽remote聽Alatash聽park聽because original assessments suggested there weren't any there at all.

"A little good聽news聽doesn't hurt," Sillero said.