Big Cats Initiative

 

Lions are dying off rapidly across Africa. These cats once ranged across the continent and into Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and even northwest India; 2,000 years ago more than a million lions roamed the Earth. Since the 1940s, when lions numbered an estimated 450,000, lion populations have blinked out across the continent. Now they may total as few as 20,000 animals. Scientists connect the drastic decreases in many cases to burgeoning human populations. The Big Cats Initiative aims to halt lion population declines by the year 2015 and to restore populations to sustainable levels. You can be part of this important work by donating to the Big Cats Initiative or by applying for a grant to help big cats.

Proposals Encouraged:

  • Innovative projects with quick results for saving lions
  • Anti-poaching programs
  • Projects that test new technology
  • Educational projects focused on community
  • Projects that establish economic incentives for local people to ensure long-term survival of lions

Learn more about applying for a grant.

Big Cat Features

  • Photo: A female African cheetah and her three cubs

    Cat Videos

    Watch amazing big cat videos featuring lions, cheetahs, tigers, leopards, and more!

  • Photo: An African cheetah leaping through the air

    Big Cats Facts

    How fast can a cheetah run? Which big cat is the strongest climber? Read all of the big cat facts to find out.

  • Photo: A lioness licking her cubs

    Help Save the Maasai Lions

    The lion population in and around Amboseli National Park in Kenya has reached a critical status that needs addressing on a major scale. Prevent further decline by making a donation.

  • Photo: Tiger diving underwater

    Global Tiger Initiative

    The World Bank, Smithsonian Institution, World Wildlife Fund, and officials from tiger range countries have come together across borders to save the wild tiger from extinction.

Help Big Cats

More Big Cats

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