Desert Lions Find New Life Eating Seals

A small group of lions have left their traditional stomping grounds in the Namibian desert and have found new life – and plenty of seals to eat – on the country’s Atlantic coast. The 12 lucky lions now prowling the Skeleton Coast are part of a population of maybe 80 stuck in the Namib Desert which features massive sand dunes and the weird Welwitschia plant which can live for 2000 years.

Belgian photographer Griet Van Malderen is documenting the lions’ resurgence, with one shot of a female named Gamma reaching the finals in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Another pic posted on Instagram offers, “A closer look at Gamma, the Ocean Queen. She reached the ocean’s edge — a place no lion should be searching for life, for food, for hope.”

Griet Van Malderen via Instagram

Desert lions lived on the Skeleton Coast in the 1980s, but were driven out by drought and conflict with humans. 

“The desert lions are incredibly unique,” Philip Stander, founder of the non-profit Desert Lion Conservation Trust, tells BBC News. “They are super fit, top athletes,” with an incredible average range of 4,600 sq miles. (A typical Serengeti lion ranges less than 40 miles). They can even survive little water. “They get most of their hydration from the meat they eat,” says Stander.

A new drought has now caused a food shortage inland, where ostriches, oryxes, and springboks – the cats’ usual fare – are growing scarce. But on the Skeleton Coast, the sea provides. “The seals were a blessing,” says Van Malderen. “Climate change has pushed these desert lions to the edge, forcing them to adapt in extraordinary ways to survive along the beaches of the Atlantic coast.” This new generation of maritime cats is protected by lion rangers and a virtual fencing system that sends out an alert when the lions cross it, teaching humans to steer clear.

The tender care is paying off. In March of this year, two cubs were born at the coast. “It is going to be very interesting to follow this evolution,” says Van Malderen.

Photo credit: Griet Van Malderen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year