The lion (Panthera leo), Africa’s largest and most iconic carnivore, is in jeopardy. Easily seen in a handful of large game parks across Africa, it is almost unthinkable to imagine the lion as a species requiring urgent conservation attention. Yet lions are disappearing. Persecuted relentlessly by pastoralists, herders, and ranchers once they leave protected areas, lions only survive in 20% of the areas where they lived 150 years ago. Although the total number of lions can only be guessed, their populations are doing much better in East and Southern African than in West Africa where the species is considered regionally endangered.

Faced with the fastest growing human population of any continent, the African lion is caught between an ever-expanding agricultural frontier and the hard lines of Africa’s protected areas. Panthera is working to address the threats facing lions throughout their African range by improving the people's ability to reduce conflicts with lions and bringing material and social benefits to the people who tolerate lions.

To act now and contribute to Panthera’s lion conservation efforts, click here.

      See Panthera's Lion Brochure - Project Leonardo: Saving Africa's Lions.

                 Read Panthera's Lion Report Card: The State of the Lion.