Gabon

What do you know about lions? While you may have seen videos of these iconic big cats wandering the plains of Africa, there’s a lot to learn about the world’s second biggest cat. 

If you’ve been following Panthera’s blog this year, you know that there are many threats facing wild cats.

The serene pattern of raindrops reverberates on a giant kapok tree while tiny droplets sift onto the shaded forest floor. Colorful macaws and playful spider monkeys frantically scurry about, seeking shelter from the gathering thunderstorm. At a distance, a jaguar remains watchful, observing the turmoil as the storm's crescendo reaches a thunderous roar. 

#WorldLionDay is today, a day to dedicate ourselves to conserving a cat whose numbers have been declining in Africa. One such place where that has occurred is the country of Gabon. In the forest-savanna complex of Plateaux Batéké National Park in the country’s southeast, leopards, gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and African golden cats roam. But there remains a carnivore species even bigger than leopards in this area — the lion.