Lions are the pride of Africa — but we can't take their presence for granted.
In just 50 years, lion populations have plummeted more than 75%. In the 1970s, Africa was home to approximately 92,000 lions. Half a century on, that number has dwindled to around 23,000. They now occupy just a fraction — about 8% — of their historical range.
Lions face a myriad of threats to their survival, but human-driven challenges are the common denominator: retaliatory killings of lions that enter community land and prey on livestock, trophy hunting (which is illegal in Kenya) and poaching, and widespread habitat loss.
As apex predators, lions play a pivotal role in their ecosystem — and they also feel the ripple effects of ecosystem disruption. As bushmeat poaching depletes plains game and farmland replaces natural grazing areas, lions struggle to find adequate prey. A single pride needs to kill large game every few days to survive, making them particularly vulnerable when their food sources disappear. They are a reminder of how interconnected everything is in an ecosystem.
Here in Kenya, we're making a tangible difference for lions through our field conservation projects:
- SWT/KWS Mobile Vet Units provide emergency field treatment to ill and injured wildlife, including more than 800 lions to date.
- SWT/KWS Anti-Poaching Teams our Aerial Unit conduct daily patrols to protect crucial habitats and the animals who call them home.
- Working closely with the KWS, fellow conservation partners, and local communities, we provide a rapid ground and aerial response to mitigate human-lion conflict and give big cats safe passage back into parks and protected areas.
- Our extensive habitat preservation initiatives save vulnerable swathes of wilderness, supporting a healthy ecosystem.
The work to forge a future for lions continues, each and every day. Supporters like you ensure we are able to answer the call for big cats, saving wild lives and securing habitats across Kenya.
In honour of World Lion Day, enjoy this spectacular selection of photos taken by SWT pilot Roan Carr-Hartley. You might notice a conspicuous lack of manes: This is a clever adaptation to life in the thick bush that characterises Tsavo. Rather than be subjected to constant snagging, tangling, and general irritation, lions in this part of Kenya have evolved to be mane-less — but still incredibly majestic!