In just 20 years African lion populations have fallen by nearly 50% and as few as 20,000 remain in the wild today. Now extinct in 24 of their former range states and 94% of their historic range, there is an urgent need to address the threats faced by this iconic species before it's too late. David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation's support and funding enables pioneering and long-lasting human-wildlife co-existence programs, as well as protection through anti-poaching units.
Lions face significant threats that have drastically reduced their populations. Classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with some populations critically endangered, lions have seen a 43% decline since the late 1990s, leaving only around 20,000 in Africa. Human activities, including the killing of lions to protect livestock, habitat encroachment, and illegal wildlife trade, severely impact their numbers. Climate change further exacerbates the issue by diminishing prey availability.
In Tanzania, DSWF supports human-wildlife co-existence programs and wildlife corridors in the Ngorongoro crater. In Zambia's Kafue National Park, DSWF funds anti-poaching units and research, integrating local communities through habitat restoration and eco-tourism. DSWF also funds the training of wildlife rangers, enforces anti-poaching laws, and conducts undercover investigations into the illegal trade of big cat parts.
Lions are one of the most vulnerable mammals on the planet and DSWF has been committed to addressing the threats faced by this iconic species since 1998 and we will continue to do so. Through our holistic approach to conservation we tackle wildlife crime, protect lions and engage with local communities to foster peaceful co-existance between humans and lions. Our work aims to reduce poaching, increase lion populations and ultimately put and end to the barbaric illegal wildlife trade of lions.
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