How Many Lions are Roaming in the Serengeti?

The Number of Lions in the Serengeti National Park has reached 3500 as of recent estimates.

This is according to the latest report as confirmed by the Commissioner of Conservation for the Tanzania National Parks, William Mwakilema.

Serengeti National Park, which is the third largest in Tanzania measuring 14,763 square kilometers, features a number of different lion territories.

Some dynasties are ruled by Kings but there are few others under the leadership of Queens, the fierce female Lions.

The recently overthrown and murdered, Bob Junior used to be the crowned King of Namiri Plains.

He and his brother were Majestic thickly and Black Maned Males of the area, but the park is not at a loss.

According to CC Mwakilema there are many other majestic male lions in different locations of the vast Serengeti plains.

Across the border into Kenya, Serengeti directly links with Maasai Mara Game Reserve which covers 1,520 square kilometers.

The Mara Effect

Maasa Mara fits into the Serengeti for nearly ten times.

With the annual wildebeests’ migration circumnavigating the two reserves usually making the headlines, sometimes the world gets to forget some other extremely important wildlife species in this East Africa’s most popular ecosystem.

But following the recent death of the Lion King of Nimara Plains, Bob Junior, the world focus tuned into the cats of the Serengeti, precisely the rulers of the jungle and especially their number.

The Namiri Plains of Serengeti are also popular cocoons for other wild cats such as Cheetahs and leopards.

As of now it is estimated that there are more than 15,000 lions in Tanzania.

With the global lions’ population being reported to be less than 30,000, it means Tanzania has the highest number of these cats in the world.

During a recent interview the TANAPA Commissioner of Conservation, Mwakilema further revealed many of the Lions in Tanzania can be found in the country’s Southern Circuit.

The Tarangire Manyara Ecosystem is currently hosting around 180 lions, the number having been dropped from more than 200 Leos that roamed within the reserve twenty years ago in 2003.

Curiosity killed the cats?

 Still, some Zoological experts point out that there are a significant number of lions inhabiting areas outside the conservation precincts and these usually get left out in the counts, thus making it difficult to determine cats’ exact population.

While in conserved places Lions may succumb to diseases and territorial battles the situation within the Tarangire-Manyara, wildlife corridors can be different.

Here the wild cats sometimes get killed during the usual Human Wildlife Conflicts.