--- title: Researchers Discover Secret Lion Population in Ethiopia description: The hidden lions have lived in the Alatash National Park. canonical: https://time.com/4202274/hidden-lions-ethiopia/ author: Julia Zorthian article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-01T15:50:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:40.138Z article:section: Science og:title: Hidden Lion Population Discovered in Ethiopia og:description: At least 100 lions found in the Alatash National Park og:url: https://time.com/4202274/hidden-lions-ethiopia/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt093fc8bfa1ea8eb5/69887b87f887dc99a2e9466e/lions-discovered-ethiopia-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: lions-discovered-ethiopia og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Hidden Lion Population Discovered in Ethiopia twitter:description: At least 100 lions found in the Alatash National Park twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt093fc8bfa1ea8eb5/69887b87f887dc99a2e9466e/lions-discovered-ethiopia-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Hidden Lion Population Discovered in Ethiopia ## Video: Know Right Now: Lions Protected As Endangered Species [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Lions Protected As Endangered Species](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/02bZizWG.m3u8) (1:05)  _Published 2015-12-21. Lions in certain parts of Africa will now be protected under the Endangered Species Act_  by [Julia Zorthian](https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Feb 1, 2016 3:50 PM UTC  CONGO - MARCH 03: Lion (Panthera leo), Felidae, Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) CONGO - MARCH 03: Lion (Panthera leo), Felidae, Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)Dea/F. Galardi—De Agostini/Getty Images  by [Julia Zorthian](https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Feb 1, 2016 3:50 PM UTC A population of [at least 100](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35460573) lions has lived undiscovered in northwest Ethiopia — [until now](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2075740-hidden-population-of-up-to-200-lions-found-in-remote-ethiopia/). Researchers in Oxford’s [Wildlife Conservation Research Unit](http://www.wildcru.org/) identified the elusive lions during an exploration of the Alatash National Park, where they knew the animals could potentially live but had never been recorded. The team set up camera traps to spot the lions, _New Scientist_ reports. “During my professional career I have had to revise the lion distribution map many times,” the leader of the expedition, Hans Bauer, [told _New Scientist_](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2075740-hidden-population-of-up-to-200-lions-found-in-remote-ethiopia/). “I have deleted one population after the other. This is the first and probably the last time that I’m putting a new one up there.” The discovery broadens the known range of lions in Ethiopia, the conservationist Born Free Foundation confirmed [in a statement](http://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/news-article/?no%5Fcache=1&tx%5Fttnews%5Btt%5Fnews%5D=2044). The lion population in Africa has declined by half [since 1990,](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35460573) and now lives on [less than 10%](http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/01/lions-rediscovered-in-ethiopian-national-park) of its historic land in Africa. \[[_New Scientist_](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2075740-hidden-population-of-up-to-200-lions-found-in-remote-ethiopia/)\] Researchers Discover Secret Lion Population in Ethiopia ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4202274/hidden-lions-ethiopia/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4202274/hidden-lions-ethiopia/"},"headline":"Hidden Lion Population Discovered in Ethiopia","datePublished":"2016-02-01T15:50:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:04:40.138Z","description":"At least 100 lions found in the Alatash National Park","url":"https://time.com/4202274/hidden-lions-ethiopia/","keywords":["Africa","Lions"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt093fc8bfa1ea8eb5/69887b87f887dc99a2e9466e/lions-discovered-ethiopia-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt093fc8bfa1ea8eb5/69887b87f887dc99a2e9466e/lions-discovered-ethiopia-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"lions-discovered-ethiopia","caption":"lions-discovered-ethiopia","creditText":"Dea/F. 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