Assessing the health of lions (Panthera leo) in a reserve

Astudy of Body Condition Score and Stomach Contents Index

Authors

  • Matthieu Müller Author
  • Tanja Baetcke-Vilho N/a’an ku sé Wildlife Experience Author
  • Rudie van Vuuren Author
  • Marlice van Vuuren Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66365/jnss.2024.07

Keywords:

Body condition score, Stomach contents index, Animal health, Camera trap, Panthera leo, lion, reserve management, Naankuse

Abstract

This research assesses the potential of the body condition score (BCS) and the stomach contents index (SCI) as indicators for monitoring the health status of lions within a fenced-off reserve in central Namibia. BCS is a non-invasive management tool that evaluates an animal’s accumulation of fat and muscle, and SCI is the measure reflecting the saturation state of the stomach. Using 3,700 camera trap pictures from November 2018 to August 2023, we firstly study BCS and SCI of five adult lions (Panthera leo), including two males and three females in a 7,500 hectare fenced-off reserve. Then, we investigate the potential correlation between BCS and SCI and analyse whether factors such as sex, moon phase, season, and time of day have an impact on BCS and SCI. Finally, we investigate the influence of BCS and SCI on the drinking behaviour of the lions. We found that BCS assessments reveal an ideal health status among the lion population in this reserve, while SCI demonstrates a rapid and dynamic response to their feeding behaviour. Analysing the five lions simultaneously reveals a significant positive correlation between BCS and SCI. Concerning the males and females, BCS remains stable across sex but differs between long-term residents and newly introduced lions. In contrast, SCI is unaffected by sex or lion introductions. Our study found no significant variations in BCS and SCI according to the moon phases. While no significant difference in BCS distribution was observed across seasons, SCI varied between dry seasons (dry summer and dry winter) and humid seasons. BCS and SCI showed no differences during dawn, day, and dusk, but we found differences for both between night on the one hand and dawn, dusk, and day on the other. Both BCS and SCI influence their drinking behaviour. The conclusion is that understanding BCS and SCI enhances the monitoring of lion health status, enabling action to be taken accordingly for the effective management of a fenced-off reserve.

Author Biographies

  • Matthieu Müller

    Matthieu Müller is dedicated to the study of snakes, their venom, and their ecology, as well as the broader ecology of carnivores. He holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Geneva, for which he wrote a final work on systematics and venomics of two genera of pit vipers (Bothrops and Bothriechis).
    His fieldwork experience includes research in Namibia, studying the body condition score and the stomach contents index of lions, and in Costa Rica, investigating environmental impacts on snake activity. Alongside his research activities, Matthieu is deeply involved in public education and conservation. He worked at the Bioparc de Genève, the Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Genève and the Wonder Fauna association, where he conducted activities to promote wildlife awareness and contribute to conservation efforts. He is currently in Southern Africa, undertaking a Professional Field Guide course in order to enhance his practical field experience.

  • Tanja Baetcke-Vilho, N/a’an ku sé Wildlife Experience

    Tanja Baetcke-Vilho is passionate to assist farmers in implementing Human-Wildlife conflict mitigation strategies and making significant contributions to carnivore conservation. Another area of strong interest to her is the assessment and improvement of field conditions for wildlife through field research and geospatial analysis. She currently serves as the Research Manager at N/a’an ku sé Wildlife Experience, where she leads a team of researchers dedicated to studying Human-Wildlife Conflict and Natural Resource Management. She holds a B.Sc. Honours degree in Natural Resource Management from the Namibian University of Science and Technology (2018) and an B.Sc. Honours degree in International Geography from University of Hamburg, Germany (2015). She is currently advancing her academic qualifications by pursuing a Master’s degree in Geo-Information Science at the University of Namibia.

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Published

2026-05-12

Issue

Vol. 71 (2024): Journal of the Namibia Scientific Society

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Matthieu Müller, Tanja Baetcke-Vilho, Rudie van Vuuren, Marlice van Vuuren (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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How to Cite

Assessing the health of lions (Panthera leo) in a reserve: Astudy of Body Condition Score and Stomach Contents Index. (2026). Journal of the Namibia Scientific Society, 71, 13. https://doi.org/10.66365/jnss.2024.07

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