World Lion Day

By Our Special Correspondent

Lion Day aims to raise awareness about the majestic hunter, the ultimate feline, the king of the jungle, the big fluffy kitty of the Serengeti... hmm, shall we leave it at the 'King of the Jungle'? Basically, it's all about lions, but you probably got that from the name.

This celebration of the animal kingdom's most beautiful and fearsome creature was founded by Big Cat Rescue, the world's largest recognized sanctuary dedicated to big cats.

August 10th is a day when people from all over the world come together to pay their respects to the mighty lion in whatever way they can.

While a fun and exciting occasion for all, its foundations rest on a much more serious matter: lion numbers have declined dramatically to the point where the species, like its larger cousin the tiger, must be placed on the endangered list.

World Lion Day is co-founded by Derek and Beverley Joubert, a husband and wife team with a passion for big cats. They launched the initiative in 2013, bringing together both National Geographic and the Big Cat Initiative under one banner to protect the remaining big cats living in the wild.

Lions - with the scientific name Panthera leo - are the second largest cat in the world behind the Asiatic tiger. These enormous creatures, weighing between 300 and 550 pounds, have sparked the popular imagination for centuries, inspiring awe through their speed and muscular power.

Three million years ago, lions roamed across the supercontinent of Africa and Eurasia. But today, various ice ages and changes in natural climate mean that their range has been reduced mainly to Africa and parts of Asia.

Currently, researchers estimate that there are 30,000 to 100,000 lions left on Earth. Without significant intervention, they are likely to find themselves on the endangered list along with other endangered species.

World Lion Day, therefore, is an opportunity for lion lovers across the planet to push back against the king of beasts' range and habitat loss. These giant animals are among the world's largest land species and are an apex predator with a reputation like no other.

A complete disappearance of a species from the natural environment would be a tragic loss to nature and humanity.

However, the threats to lions are very real. They face the dual scenarios of increasingly popular "trophy hunting" and human encroachment on their traditional forest lands. A decrease in food combined with hunting tourism makes them more vulnerable with each passing year. In the last four decades, the lion population has declined by fifty percent.

So World Lions Day has three objectives. The first is to create awareness about the plight of the lion and the problems facing the species in the wild. Second, find ways to protect the big cat's natural habitat, such as creating more national parks and reducing areas where people can settle.