World Lion Day

History of World Lion Day

This celebration of the king of the animal kingdom was founded by the organization Big Cat Rescue. August 10th is the day when people from all over the world come together to pay tribute to the mighty lion in as many ways as possible. The foundation of this celebration is based on a very serious matter - the dramatic decline in the number of lions, to the point where they need to be placed on the endangered species list.

World Lion Day is the brainchild of co-founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert and their team, who have a passion for big cats. The initiative was launched in 2013, bringing together National Geographic and the Big Cat Initiative under one banner to protect the remaining big cats living in the wild.

Lions, scientifically known as Panthera leo, are the second largest cats in the world, second only to the Asian tiger. These massive creatures, weighing between 150-250 kilograms, have captivated people's imagination for centuries with their speed and strength. While they once roamed throughout Africa and the Eurasian supercontinent three million years ago, their range is now primarily limited to Africa and select parts of Asia.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, lions are a vulnerable species, meaning their numbers could and should be higher. Currently, scientists estimate that there are only 30,000 to 100,000 lions left on Earth. Without significant intervention, there is a chance they could end up on the endangered list alongside other species facing the threat of extinction.

World Lion Day is an opportunity for lion lovers around the world to stand up against the loss of lion habitats and territories. Lions are among the largest terrestrial apex predators, with a reputation like no other. It would be a tragic loss for nature and humanity if this species were to disappear completely from their natural environment. However, the threats to lions are all too real. They face two major threats - the increasingly popular trophy hunting and human encroachment into their traditional wilderness. The reduction in their natural prey combined with hunting tourism makes them more vulnerable every year. In the past four decades, the lion population has decreased by fifty percent.

Therefore, World Lion Day has three goals. The first is to raise awareness about the suffering of lions and the challenges they face in the wild. The second is to find ways to protect the natural habitats of big cats, such as creating more national parks and limiting areas where people can settle. And the third is to educate people living near wild cats about the dangers and how to protect them. People and large species like cats can coexist in harmony, but only if we know how.

How to celebrate World Lion Day

How you celebrate is entirely up to you. You can change your profile pictures on social media to a lion for the day, draw a picture and share it with friends, or even find out who has the loudest roar.

The organizers of World Lion Day want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to support these majestic predators and their conservation for future generations. If you visit their website, you will find a code that you can use to embed World Lion Day images on your website. Visitors can then click on the link to be redirected to the World Lion Day website, where they can contribute to various projects.

When it comes to donating to charitable organizations, World Lion Day offers a variety of options. Charitable organizations associated with this day include the African Conservation Foundation, African Parks, Defenders of Wildlife