Lions and Burgers and Pesticides, Oh My! How America is Contributing to Lion Extinction

Thank you for bringing this issue to the attention of your readers. I have been researching and following this issue for quite some time. To answer some of the questions raised. What I have learned from various reliable sources; There are a number of reasons people are killing the lions. Two of the main reasons are; One, the cattle farmers, known as pastoralists, use the pesticide to kill a lion that killed one of their cattle. They leave the dead cow where it was found and lace it with the pesticide to draw the lion back in and kill it. This in turn affects vultures, jackels, hyenas and all other wildlife that is drawn in to feed on the dead cow laced with poison. Poisoning has killed truckloads of birds as well as the intended lion. You can read all about this on the Wildlife Direct web site. Just search for Stop Wildlife Poisoning. Another big reason for lions dying is that most of the big game hunting. Most of the big game hunters come from the U.S. If they shoot a lion and are not happy with the size of the trophy, some hunters will bury it and shoot another one,even though they have a permit for only one. Allowing hunting of an endangered animal is another issue altogether. The loss of one male lion has a domino effect that in turn causes the death of as many as 24 lions. This includes, males from a challenging pride killing males in the pride that lost their dominant protector/leader. The pregnant females of the pride that lost the dominant male, spontaneously abort in order to receive the genes of the males moving in to take over the pride. The cubs of females are also killed by the males of the pride that are taking over. When all is finished, as many as 24 lions have been lost due to the death of one dominant male. The underlying issue regarding the pesticide method of killing is the lack of international law to control them. At present, the controls of international trade of pesticides are voluntary. If a pesticide is deemed too toxic for use in the U.S. or EU, for example, there are no laws to prevent shipping it to other nations where the restrictions, controls and enforcement capabilities are minimal to non-existent. For more information see the following; U.S. PESTICIDE EXPORTS AND THE CIRCLE OF POISON http://www.archive.org/stream/uspesticideexpor00unit/uspesticideexpor00unit_djvu.txt National Performance Review the Environmental Protection Agency Part 2 THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release July 14, 1994 http://archives.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/?u=071494-national-performance-review-the-environmental-protection-agency-part2.htm Actions EPA should work with Congress in developing legislation that would stop the United States from exporting banned pesticides by June 1994. This legislation should require appropriate analytical methods that can detect the presence of residues of non-registered pesticides and require exporters to keep records and report on types of pesticides exported, country of destination, and general information on pesticide use. 2. EPA should work with appropriate national and international organizations and private industry to develop policies that make PIC more enforceable throughout the world. EPA should seek legislation that gives it the authority to enforce PIC in the United States. This could serve to spur other countries, especially developing countries, to implement similar laws and policies to enforce PIC. These countries look to the United States for the lead in such matters, because of its technical expertise. 3. EPA, in cooperation with USDA and FDA, should consider developing a public-private sector partnership to provide technical assistance to developing countries by January 1995. This program should address technical assistance and training requests from developing countries on how to safely use pesticides. Below are several links that discuss legislation to control pesticide exports. Note the date on the first article is 1994 and the second paper has a copyright date of 1997. I believe the current administration would be more receptive to reopening this conversation than the previous administration, and acting on the information below. Check out: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-44442149.html Article date: February 15, 1994 PESTICIDES: US PROPOSES STRINGENT EXPORT LEGISLATION Summary: As exporter of a third of the world's supply of pesticides, the United States is moving toward more stringent controls over how its pesticide products are used in third countries. On January 26, the Clinton Administration's Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Carol Browner, announced proposals on the export of US pesticides at a Congressional hearing. The aims are to ban the export of pesticides prohibited in the US, ban the export of pesticides not approved in the US, offer technical assistances to importers of US-made pesticides and work to protect public health and the environment from any pesticides which pose an unacceptable risk. see also: http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/landuse/Vol131/REYN.HTMl As concerned citizens you can contact your political leaders and let them know what you think about all this. Urge them to pass laws to control international pesticide trade. Make a donation to an environmental organization who has attorneys and others working to remedy these issues. Take every opportunity to educate others and get the word out regarding what is happening.

Well to put a bit of perspective on this it isnt the pesticide that is the problem (although they are part of a wider problem), it is the question of why people are poisoning lions. You can ban carbofuran but then what? There will be another poison that is used to kill lions. So the underlying solution is to find out why those communities involved in killing lions are resorting to such measures and ask what can be done to convice them that this is not the way forward.

I cannot BELIEVE the company who makes this is allowed to distribute it. They should be closed down and fined into extinction! As to how to stop it, it is not just the lions being affected...it is the very way we do our farming. For instance, if you plant all the same crops in one location, they attract all the same predators, and we have to resort to pesticides. The way to avoid this is through planting balanced eco-systems....with natural predators, and not all the same type of crops in one location. Thank you for educating us on this, Jo! It is time we start to see that we are the truly the world, and not just humans, but even parasites need to be in balance in order to make the world sustainable for EVERYONE.

No matter what amount it is it is lethal and dangerous. The human population has to start respecting the animals, plants and the WHOLE earth before they find themselves extinct along with everything else.

Thanks Jo,& respondents, for your info. I continue believing that as individuals help inform eachother about what is happeneing and what we can do to change things, the world truly does evolve into a better place.

Why on earth would you want to know the quantity, DirkH? I suspect anyone who asks this kind of question, and would not supply them with the answer. As for the broad issue you write of, Jo, yes, it is diabolical, and yet another clear indicator of a society in the toilet. The individuals and groups among us who still care need to work harder than ever to try to counter the out-of-control amorality and complete lack of compassion most people here seem to accept as a necessary evil, if not personally adopt.

From the Defenders of Wildlife Blog: http://www.fluffyfeet.net/wp/2009/12/05/help-threatened-kenyan-lions/ "A quarter teaspoon of carbofuran can kill an individual lion. Less will paralyze this mighty beast for up to a week, leaving a lion or lioness to starve to death or be killed by other predators."