Poisoning Kenya's Lions

Paralysed lion

Poisoning Kenya's Lions

From: Paula Kahumbu
Length: 00:05:00

Carbofuran an agricultural pesticide is killing Kenya's lions. Now banned in USA due to the dangers it poses to users, consumers and the environment, the impact of carbofuran is being felt elsewhere. With only 2000 left, this pesticide could drive Kenya's tiny lion population to extinction in less than 20 years. Read the full description.

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Piece Description

Known universally as Kings of the jungle, these extraordinary animals are in trouble.

The Kenya Wildlife Service estimates that fewer than 2000 remain in Kenya today. That’s down from 35,000 only fifty years ago.

Harmless looking purple grains sold in stores all over Kenya in an innocuous plastic bottle for less than 2 dollars

Carbofuran sold as Furadan is a pesticide developed in the US for controlling root and leaf eating bugs. But it also happens to be an extremely powerful neurotoxin. It paralyses anything that eats it, from the tinyest insect to a 7 ton hippo.

Using it is as simple as it is cheap – a handful sprinkled on the carcass of a cow that lions had killed earlier is capable of wiping out an entire pride as well as any other scavengers that happen to join the deadly feast, it is tasteless and odourlesss – a perfect lethal solution.  At least 76 lions have been confirmed killed with Carbofuran. Nobody knows how many more have died unrecorded. Nobody has ever been charged with killing lions with this pesticide.