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.
Watch amazing big cat videos featuring lions, cheetahs, tigers, leopards, and more.
The king of cats rules with a roar and a fierce bite. What else do you know about this top predator? Take this quiz and find out.
How fast can a cheetah run? Which big cat is the strongest climber? Read all of the big cat facts to find out.
If forward-looking conservationists prevail, this wanderer will live on.
Prevent further decline of the lion population in and around Amboseli National Park in Kenya by making a donation.
