On the Disappearance of the West African Lion
By Matthew Vigneau
In the serene deserts and grasslands of Western Africa, a magnificent species of predator, essential to their ecosystem, are disappearing. This vanishment can be directly linked to human beings. The West African lions, a vital part of their desert/grassland ecosystem, are vital because of several key jobs they perform. They keep antelope populations under control, stopping them from overrunning the land and local farms by eating them. They can pay for their own conservation when trophy hunters and poachers bribe their way into their habitats on the oft occasion when they elude their hunters. They clear herding lands of dead cows when they cannot find prey. However, these lions will not continue to perform their duties forever if human beings continue down their current path. The causes of the disappearance of the West African lion can be easily traced back to human beings. The primary cause that is linked to two others is, of course, global warming, which is caused by human beings re...