Namibia: Leonardo Killing Seen As a Turning Point By Stander

Denver Kisting

11 May 2010

THERE is no way that Keith Wright, who recently admitted having shot the collared lion Leonardo, could not have seen the collar around the lion's neck.

So says lion researcher Flip Stander, who has been busy with research into Namibia's endangered desert lions for more than two decades.

According to Stander, the "moment was too big" to resist, prompting Wright to shoot the six-year-old lion in the Sesfontein Conservancy at the end of last month.

Leonardo, who had been successfully leading a pack of lions for the past three and a half years, was to turn seven years old in July.
Moreover, Stander blames himself for having taken away Leonardo's "survival skills" by spending "thousands of hours" to make the lion used to cars and cameras. As a result, Leonardo would not have run away when Wright came close to him.

Furthermore, Stander told The Namibian, "a lot of money is involved for [shooting] a lion of his standard - easily between US$50 000 and US$60 000".

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism laid criminal charges against Wright last week in connection with Leonardo's killing.
The Deputy Director of Parks and Wildlife Management in the ministry, Colgar Sikopo, on Thursday confirmed that a Police case of illegal hunting of a protected species had been opened.

Stander said although Leonardo's killing was a setback to the threatened adult male population in the desert, he hoped "that we will look back at this event and see it as a turning point and that, in a funny manner, it will be worthwhile".

"The uncontrolled shooting of male lions should be stopped absolutely."
He said the built-in GPS in the collar had made it possible for him to keep track of Leonardo's every move.

"That is how I could see that it was at Didimala Safaris [Wright's camp]."

Stander said he would like to see a moratorium on the hunting of all adult male lions in the country following the death of Leonardo - who was named after Leonardo da Vinci at the suggestion of a 10-year-old girl.

Ben Beytell, Director of Parks and Wildlife Management, said earlier that Wright had a permit to shoot a lioness in the Anabeb Conservancy but had no authorisation from the Ministry to hunt a lion in the Sesfontein Conservancy.