World Lion Day, therefore, is an opportunity for lion lovers all over the planet to push back against the decline in the range and habitat of the king of beasts. Without significant intervention, there is a chance that they could find themselves on the endangered list alongside other species most at risk of extinction. Currently, researchers estimate that there are between 30,000 and 100,000 lions left on planet Earth.
But today, various ice ages and changes in the natural environment means that their range is reduced primarily to Africa and select parts of Asia.Īccording to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, lions are a “vulnerable” species, meaning that their numbers could and should be higher. Three million years ago, lions roamed all over Africa and the Eurasian supercontinent. These immense creatures, weighing between 300 and 550 pounds, have sparked the popular imagination for centuries, inspiring awe through their speed and muscular power. Lions – with the scientific name Panthera leo – are the second-largest cat in the world, just behind the Asian tiger. They began the initiative in 2013, bringing together both National Geographic and the Big Cat Initiative under a single banner to protect the remaining big cats living in the wild. World Lion Day is the brainchild of co-founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert, a husband-and-wife team with a passion for big cats. Though a fun and exciting occasion for all, its foundations are based in a very serious matter: lion numbers have dramatically declined to the point where the species needs to be placed on the endangered list, just like its larger cousin the tiger. August 10th is a day for people to come together from across the world to pay tribute to the mighty lion in as many ways as possible.
This celebration of the animal kingdom’s most beautiful and fearsome creature was founded by Big Cat Rescue, the world’s largest accredited sanctuary dedicated to big cats.
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