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While information on the status of large carnivores of West and Central Africa is extremely limited, last decades a large decline in lion populations has been noticed. Tim Caro and other scientists agree that the combination of t he human destruction of their habitat and uncontrolled poaching are the main causes that lead to the disappearance of the lion, and the lack of financial resources and limited human capacity for the effective protection of the parks.
 * If poaching continues, the king of the jungle will disappear **

According to a research of Philipp Henschel, in 2010, the lion is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species IUCN, in particular, raises great concern the African lion. This situation is even more alarming in western and central Africa. The biologist Stuart Pimm warns: "The West African lions are almost extinct. Only a great conservation effort could save them. "

This study, carried out by the team of HH of Iongh, in 2011, quantified the presence of large carnivores and herbivores both hunting areas as protected areas Bénoué complex, located in northern Cameroon. The number of herbivores, leopards and hyenas was similar to expected. However, the number of lions observed was lower than expected.

The team analyzed the importance of hunting concessions in these areas, not only in terms of economic contribution to the protected areas, but also in relation to the revenue generated as part of the revenue provided by the hunting concessions paid to inhabitants living in the hunting areas, providing an annual income of about 0.25 € per capita. Is it this amount enough to prevent bribery by poachers?.

To combat the disappearance of the lion, we suggest an immediate moratorium of at least five years in hunting lions in Cameroon. This will allow the recovery of the lions and the establishment of a management plan for future lion hunting.

**Attached files:** The paper is available online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320711003661, or in the journal Biological Conservation, 2011, volume 144, pages 3064-3072 between. For more information contact with H. H. de Iongh, researcher at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Leiden, PO in 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands. Tel: +31 653972498, fax: +31 317 424 599. E-mail: ionghc@cml.leidenuniv.nl