AFRICA NEEDS LIONS

SINCE 1975 WE HAVE LOST 80 - 90% OF THE AFRICAN LION POPULATION. THEIR NUMBERS CONTINUE TO FALL. WITH YOUR HELP WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE CAN SAVE THIS SPECIES. READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW.

A report published at the end of 2012 estimated the number of lions in Africa to be as low as 32,000. That may not sound too alarming until put into context. Only 40 years ago, Africa was home to 200,000 lions. If this rate of decline is allowed to continue we could be facing an Africa without any wild lions within 40 years.

We must not make the same mistakes that have been made with other species. We can, and must, act now while there is still time. If not, this iconic creature could be lost forever; a devastating prospect both for the continent of Africa and our planet.

Why do we need lions?

The loss of lions has a negative effect on Africa’s fragile ecosystems. Lions play an important role in the food chain, helping to regulate numbers of the more dominant herbivore species, such as zebra and buffalo. Without lions to control them, these species out-compete other animals, causing their extinction and reducing biodiversity.

Tourism is also a major boost to the African economy and lions continue to be the biggest attraction. Many of Africa’s most needy communities rely on the money brought in by tourists and would suffer if lions were no longer part of the safari experience for foreign visitors.

And don’t forget, the African lion is an important symbol. It is an icon; not only to those in Africa, but all around the world. Countless companies and organisations are proud to associate themselves with an animal that is said to be the ‘King of Beasts’.

Imagine a world in which the African lion exists only in stories, pictures, statues and company logos. We cannot be the generation that allows this to happen when there are real solutions available to prevent it.

What are we doing?

SNIP