Lions are found mainly in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. They live in savannahs, grasslands, dense bush, and woodlands. Over the last thirty years, Africa has lost almost 70 percent of its lion population due to:
PREDATORS: Lions have no natural predators. Humans are the biggest threat to their survival. As the human population around national parks increases, so does contact with lions, increasing the chance that lions will be harmed or killed.
LOSS OF HABITAT: People are taking over lion territory, which causes conflicts between lions and humans.
POISONING: Livestock owners sometimes poison or shoot lions that kill their cattle.
POACHERS: The lion is one of the most prized “trophy kills” by hunters.
But IT’S NOT ALL BAD FOR THE AFRICAN LION! Many lions live in protected national parks. Conservations groups are working hard to preserve the numbers of lions. For instance, the African Wildlife Foundation has lion conservation research projects in Tanzania and Botswana.