ISSN: 2067-533X INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSERVATION SCIENCE Volume 5, Issue 4, October-December 2014: 503-510 www.ijcs.uaic.ro DEMOGRAPHY OF LIONS (PANTHERA LEO) IN TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA Hudson LAIZER 1∗ , Thadeo M.C. TARIMO 1 , Bernard KISUI 2 1 School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania. 2 School for Field Studies, P.O Box 304 Karatu, Tanzania. Abstract Tarangire lions reveal similar population characteristics to most of other lion populations in other protected areas in Africa. Tarangire lion population was estimated to be around 155 individuals as in June 2013 based on individual identification facilitated by the use of Radio telemetry coupled with the use of GPS to get information on individual lions within a specific pride to determine their location and characteristics. The population had a density of 7.5 lions per 100 square kilometers. The sex ratio was 1 male to 1.2 females more in favor of females but cubs had a sex ratio of 1 male to 1 female. The age composition was dominated by pre- reproductive age class (cubs and sub-adults), which constitutes 63.9% of the whole population. There was a total of 9 prides residing the park, the number of lions in the pride ranges from 2- 38 individuals with the mean of 17.2 individuals. Cub survival was high with the average of 70.8% of all cubs born survived to year one. The overall population trend shows declining curve which suggests more conservation efforts are needed to make it stable. Keywords: African lion; Cub; Pride and Sex ratio;Age composition. Introduction Lions are the most social of the cats [1]. They live in groups known as prides, which consists of related females, their cubs of either sexes or related and unrelated males forming coalitions competing for tenure over prides. Average pride size (including males and females) is four to six adults; prides generally break into smaller groups when hunting [1]. Lions tend to live at higher densities than most other felids, but with a wide variation from 1.5 adults per 100 km² in southern African semi-desert to 55 adults per 100 km² in parts of the Serengeti [2]. The lion is considered to be the most abundant large predator in African savannah and plains ecosystems after the spotted hyena [3]. Depending on prey density, in a given area there can be anywhere from 1 lion/4.8km 2 to 1 lion/80.1-161.3km 2 [3]. However, the lions and other large carnivores have showed a marked reduction in numbers and distribution during the past few decades [4]. They have disappeared from the Northern regions while in the Southern areas only few populations are left [4]. In the remaining part of the African continent they are mainly confined to National Parks and the surrounding areas. This decline is mainly attributed to an increased conflict with human and habitat loss [4-7]. ∗ Corresponding author: hudsonlaizer@gmail.com