NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Africa's lion population of Africa has fallen by nearly 90 percent during in the past 20 years, leaving the animal close to extinction.
The BBC said there are apparently only 23,000 lions left, compared with an estimated 200,000 two decades ago.
A University of California wildlife biologist, Laurence Frank, told the BBC the only hope for lions' and other predators' survival is for humans and wildlife to live together.
Clare Wallerstein of the International Fund for Wildlife Welfare told the BBC the problem will only become worse, since Kenya's human population is forecast to double during the next 12 years.
Frank said populations of all African predators are plummeting. He said the nation's wild dog population has fallen to between 3,500 and 5,000 and there are now fewer than 15,000 cheetahs.
Said Frank: "People know about elephants, gorillas and rhinos. But they seem blissfully unaware these large carnivores are nearing the brink."
He blamed the decline in predator numbers on people killing them to protect livestock.
