Researchers confirm lion population in remote Ethiopian park

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JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Conservationists say they have confirmed the existence of lions in a remote national park in Ethiopia, a rare piece of good news for a threatened species whose numbers have plunged in many parts of Africa.

Born Free, a charity based in Britain, said in a statement Monday that the discovery was made in Alatash National Park in northwest Ethiopia, on the border with Sudan.

The charity says conservationists obtained camera trap images of lions and also identified lion tracks, confirming reports from local residents that lions were in the area.

Born Free funded the research, which was carried out by a team led by Hans Bauer. He works for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University in Britain.