Once roaming throughout all of Africa, lions can now only be found in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Without intervention, their populations may continue to face catastrophic declines.
While lions may be apex predators, holding no predators of their own, their populations have seen significant declines.
In the last 25 years, since the premiere of The Lion King, African lion populations have fallen by 50%. Where 450,000 lions once roamed sub-Sahara almost 50 years ago, now only 20,000 remain; their geographical range shrinking by 94%. Put in perspective, for every wild lion in the world, there are still more elephants, more gorillas, and more rhinos. African lions may not be listed as endangered, but the rate at which their populations have and are continuing decline make them vulnerable to extinction.
