Lions are in crisis — half of all wild Lions have been lost in the past 25 years, with as few as 20,000 remaining in Africa. We recognise that the leaders of African countries, as well as the communities that live alongside Lions and share their landscapes, are the true custodians of African Lions for the world. When conservation organisations work together with these custodians, Lion recovery is possible. Today we adopt the Declarations to Recover Lions to ensure that wild Lions, landscapes and African people thrive.
Today, as few as 20 000 Lions remain in Africa. More than half of their population has been lost in the last 25 years. Wildlife ACT are teaming up with other conservation groups to protect Lions, restore their landscapes, and benefit local communities.
The majority of protected wildlife areas in South Africa are surrounded by local communities. We must work to minimise the financial and emotional burden on those people who share landscapes with lions. Together with a community of conservationists, we are committed to reducing the toll lions can take on people.
Lions are both a global and national treasure and pride. We need to ensure that both Lions and people can coexist and thrive, and work to ensure that the cultural, economic and ecological benefits from Lions and their habitats are reaching local communities, national economies, and the global community.
The Lion Recovery Fund and Disney Conservation Fund recently partnered to host the ‘Lion Footprint Forum’ in Orlando. This meeting involved a wide range of practitioners and donors involved in Lion conservation. One of the most exciting outcomes of the forum was the development of these three pillars for Lion Recovery: Stop the Loss, Reduce the Cost, and Unlock the Value. Wildlife ACT and partners have adopted these Declarations to share one voice for Africa's Lions. These are open to anyone interested in Lion conservation who want to help #ProtectThePride.
