Numerous species of large mammals — including lions, giraffes, and zebras — declined by nearly 60 percent at major national parks in Africa between 1970 and 2005, according to a new study. Researchers at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Cambridge University, who created an index to track population changes at 78 protected areas across Africa, say the population declines were particularly steep in West Africa, where numbers dropped by 85 percent as poachers took advantage of funding and 
personnel shortages. In southern Africa, the rate is closer to 50 percent, according to the study, published in the journal Biological Conservation. The rate of decline continent-wide has slowed in recent years, suggesting that management practices have improved. While the results were worse than researchers expected, they said increases in large mammal populations in southern Africa suggest that protected areas can successfully conserve wildlife if properly funded. While wildlife declines in protected areas were large, the researchers said the loss of large mammals outside of parks and reserves was “undoubtedly” worse. “Many species like rhino are practically extinct outside national parks,” said Ian Craigie, a ZCL researcher and lead author of the study.
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