Lion cubs in Euphorbia tree.

By Suzanne Parker


In most parts of the world, lions ­are revered for their strength and majestic beauty. But in Africa, where they roam free, the so-called 'king of the jungle' is regarded more as a nuisance than a national treasure, mainly because they prey on an important source of people's livelihoods: cattle.

“Cats eat cows, and so do we – and that’s the core problem between humans and large feline predators,” explains specialist big cat researcher Dr Alex Braczkowski (Doctor of Philosophy ’20).  

And he should know, having written a PhD thesis on the issue – not to mention also giving TedX talks, creating documentaries, recording educational videos and publishing academic journal articles.

But Dr Braczkowski believes big cats are incredibly important for maintaining an ecological balance.

Jacob the lion resting in a tree in Uganda.

Jacob, one of the lions observed by Dr Braczkowski and his team, in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area.

Jacob, one of the lions observed by Dr Braczkowski and his team, in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area.

“Studies have shown that when large predators are removed from the ecosystem, problems emerge elsewhere along the food chain, so it’s in both our interests to co-exist peacefully,” he said.


“We are already close to tipping point for an environmental crisis – the current pandemic being a prime example – so we must take into consideration human cultural, economic and lifestyle factors when developing future conservation management guidelines for large felines.”  

However, before these guidelines can be properly developed, a baseline from which to compare is required, which is where Braczkowski’s work comes into play.

“We need to know exactly what we are dealing with – how many big cats actually exist, where they live and where they roam, how they fill their time,” he said.

“Depending whom you ask, around 18 to 30 thousand lions currently live in Africa, but we have no definitive figures.”

Watch this National Geographic trailer showing Dr Braczkowski's compelling research about lions in Africa.

Watch this National Geographic trailer showing Dr Braczkowski's compelling research about lions in Africa.

It’s a mammoth task, and one requiring the development of new scientific methods to undertake successfully.

For example, how do you tell lions apart so that their movements can be followed accurately? Is it their markings (like giraffes), ‘speech’ (like birds), or even their calluses/injuries (like whales)?

No, Braczkowski and his colleagues have identified that it’s their whiskers that differentiate individual lions.

And they have developed a whisker spot-counting methodology, using new technology based on a lion counting technique first used by researchers in the Maasai Mara of Kenya, to track the habits of individual animals.

All lions have unique whisker markings that differentiate them from each other. Dr Braczkowski and his team developed a whisker-spot counting technology to enable them to follow individual lions and observe their behaviour.

“It all takes time,” Braczkowski said.

“On a recent visit to Africa, we drove about 9,000 kilometres through the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area in Uganda, observing lions in the wild, comparing GPS data tracking movements, using capture/recapture models, and taking numerous photos and videos by handheld and drone cameras, which then demanded around 20 minutes per image to tally whiskers.

Sedated lion with three researchers looking on.

Dr Braczkowski and colleagues in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area with a sedated lion about to be collared and tagged.

Dr Braczkowski and colleagues in the Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area with a sedated lion about to be collared and tagged.

“In a three-month period, we were able to obtain about 165 lion photographs of 30 individual animals, and this was enough to name several different lions and discern unique behavioural patterns.

“We also carried out a density estimation exercise of a 2,500 square kilometre area and calculated that about 70 lions in total lived there – only about 2.7 lions per 100 square kilometres.”

Whisker-spot markings on a lion.

All lions have unique whisker markings that differentiate them from each other. Dr Braczkowski and his team developed a whisker-spot counting technology to enable them to follow individual lions and observe their behaviour.

All lions have unique whisker markings that differentiate them from each other. Dr Braczkowski and his team developed a whisker-spot counting technology to enable them to follow individual lions and observe their behaviour.

Two siblings at 'play'.

Two siblings at 'play'.

Cameraman walking in grassland.

Heading off at twilight to get some more footage of lions.

Heading off at twilight to get some more footage of lions.

With the lions living in trees – a behaviour unique to lions in this part of the world – Braczkowski's observations for his research were often quite challenging and potentially dangerous, although he said he only felt seriously intimidated once.


“Generally, lions are not interested in eating people and there are very few lion attacks on record."

“However, one day I felt that I was being very closely watched and left much sooner than anticipated. I think my ‘observer’ had amalgamated me and my vehicle, seeing me as a buffalo, a much more promising treat.

“I didn’t take any chances.”

This moment aside, Braczkowski has never been scared of big cats; indeed, he has been fascinated by them ever since studying nature conservation at the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, where he spent every spare moment “running around the local mountains tracking them”.

Sedated leopard with two researchers looking on..

Dr Braczkowski has always been fascinated by big cats, and spent many years studying leopards.

Dr Braczkowski has always been fascinated by big cats, and spent many years studying leopards.

He initially focused his attention on leopards before moving to the study of lions in 2018.

“This is when I made the Tree climbing lions documentary for National Geographic through Disney Plus, which was an intensely personal account of my year of research ‘counting cats’,” he said.

“I witnessed mothers battling the odds to raise cubs through their first year of life, and saw the threats faced by lions having to live close to human populations. It was life-changing.

“I had already assisted on several documentaries on leopards and jaguars for National Geographic, but this was my first solo production, and I hope to do more in the future. I’d particularly like to make another film on lions across Uganda more broadly.”

Lion pride in a tree.

A pride of lions in a Euphorbia tree.

A pride of lions in a Euphorbia tree.

In the meantime, Braczkowski is working as research assistant to Griffith University’s Dr Duan Biggs in his Resilient Conservation research group, writing research papers, submitting grant requests, pitching new movie ideas to National Geographic, and pursuing other wildlife conservation projects on the side.

It’s a demanding life, but one he is staunchly committed to for its long-term impact on the planet.


“We need the numbers to support where we put our [very limited] conservation dollars.”

“The movement of large carnivores is a good indicator of available resources in an area – the more prey, the less movement – but can also indicate that animals are being persecuted. We need to investigate recovery strategies for large carnivores,” he said.

Heading off at twilight to get some more footage of lions.

The current pandemic has also highlighted the sometimes-precarious balancing act between animals and humans, with COVID-19 purportedly being spread via zoonotic viruses in wet markets.

“Yes, when you have live bats next to chickens or foxes and a mix of ‘exotic’ wild animals on the same table, this increases the chance of a disease jumping from one to the other, which can have unintended consequences on human wellness,” Braczkowski said.

“Combined with poor sanitation, stressed animals and exposure to specific species known to carry disease, wet markets do not always bode well for optimal health. They need to be managed well.

“On the other hand, our studies have shown that benefits may apply to humans living close to wild animals. For example, the incidence of rabies reduced dramatically in Mumbai, India, when local leopards fed on domestic dogs – so people were actually safer living with big cats than not.

“It’s all a matter of balance.

"How much land we clear, how much red meat we eat, how much we consume to build our homes and transport, even what our burial practices are, all make a difference to the health of the planet. We don’t get anything for free in the world.

“Big cats can provide key answers to help us decide what we’re willing to pay for.”


Two lions in a tree.

Siblings not happy to spot the UQ research team.

Siblings not happy to spot the UQ research team.

All photos and videos kindly supplied by Dr Alex Braczkowski. Most were taken while conducting research for his PhD on the monitoring of large, elusive megafauna and their complex relationship with human communities. He chose to study at UQ because of its highly ranked world reputation in ecology and conservation science, and because of its location “in an incredible continent with amazing wildlife”.