World Lion day is observed every year on August 10 to raise awareness about the conservation of lions. The lion is an endangered species on the IUCN Red List. The 5 biggest cats are found mostly in India, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian leopard, Clouded Leopard, and Snow leopard. India is also recorded as the highest lion population with an increase of 29 percentages from 2015 to 2020. Lions maintain the ecological balance and ensure the protection of natural forests and help in the conservation of biodiversity. Wild Lions currently exist in India and Sub-Saharan Africa.
History:
In 2013, co-founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the Big Cat Initiative, and National Geographic made a partnership to create World Lion Day. The lion is also known as Panthera leo and is considered the king of the jungle, being the largest species on earth. They choose August 10, because it is a perfect day for people to come together from across the world to give tribute to the mighty lion in as several ways as possible. Even though a fun and exciting occasion for all of us, its foundations are based on a grave matter: the number of lions have dramatically declined to the point where the species wants to be placed on the list of endangered, just like its larger cousin the tiger. .There has been a decline in 80 percent of the population of lions in the past 100 years. Hence World Lion Day is a perfect day to raise awareness about the endangerment of Lion animals. This is the major reason for the observance of the day to protect these wild cats in their natural habitat. This also works on the safety measures of the lion communities.
Significance:
Lions maintain ecological balance and ensure the protection of natural forests and help in the conservation of biodiversity. The government of India is initiating schemes and projects for the conservation of lions. However, an increase in their population and depleting forest cover and natural habitats have made them come closer to humans as they have started venturing far out of the protected areas in search of prey and territory. According to the World WildLife Fund data, Lions are found throughout. Asia, Africa and Europe but are currently facing habitat loss resulting in dwindling numbers over the years. The Asiatic Lions are facing a threat of genetic inbreeding arising but the population has increased since 2010. In June 2020, an estimation census found that 674 Asiatic lions are present in the Gir forest region, more than a 28 per cent increase in the number from the 2015 figure.
Gujarat Chief Wildlife Warden, Shyamal Tokadar had informed that the population of Asiatic Lions has shown a steady increase. Gujarat according to the latest census has 674 individual lions. The rate of increase in the population is 28 per cent from the previous growth of 27 per cent during 2015 when there were 523 lions in the state. He further added that multiple strategies that have been implemented in the landscape have contributed to current conservation success.
Celebration:
The day is volunteered around the globe at zoos and natural habitats to protect the lions and take care of them. Various organisations raise funds and make donations to conserve the species. In this pandemic situation, digital initiatives are taken to raise awareness on social media platforms.
Facts about Lions
Simple facts to celebrate the World Lion Day are listed below
- Lions live in large groups called pride, similar to wolves
- The male lion weighs above 500 pounds and grows up to eight feet in length.
- Even though the Lions are called “King of the Jungle,” they live only in grasslands and plains – not the jungle.
- Female lions and their sisters live together for entire life. Their female cubs also stay with pride, even after they are grown, but male cubs must stake out on their own once they reach maturity.
- Lions Call Tanzania Home
- It’s the Only Social Cat
- A Lion Can Eat 95 Pounds of Food in a Day
- Roughly 23,000 Lions Remain in the Wild
- Male lions have majestic manes which make them appear as larger and more intimidating. Female lions also attracted to fuller, thicker hairs.
- The roar of male lions can be heard from up to five miles away, and their roar is the loudest roar of any big cat species. Their roar will help them to find other lions as well as to proclaim their territory. Lion’s Roar is 25 Times Louder than a Gas-powered Lawn Mower
How to Celebrate the Day
You can change the profile picture pictures of your social media to a lion on that day, draw a sketch, and share with them on social media by using the hashtag #WorldLionDay. Gather your friends and find out who has the loudest roar. You can also like the Facebook page and follow @BigCatRescue on Twitter to show your support for World Lion Day. the more we spread the word, the bigger the chances of these unbelievable animals gracing our planet forever.
Indian Initiative Towards Conservation Of Lion
The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is an initiative of the Indian Government to provide safeguards to the Asiatic lion from extinction in the wild by means of reintroduction. The last wild population of the Asiatic lion is found in the region of Gir Forest National Park, in the state of Gujarat. The single population faces the threats of epidemics, natural disasters and other anthropogenic factors. The project aims to establish a second independent population of Asiatic lions at the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.However, the proposed translocation has been bitterly contested by the state government.
The gujarat government also plan to soon start Project Lion . Project Lion will involve the conservation of lions and their habitat in a holistic manner. There will be a focus on conflict mitigation and technology for management
Although India has progressed considerably in conserving lions, there is still a need to increase the population of lions to maintain the ecological balance. So today Let us all join hands together and take a pledge to help our country enrich its rich history again and help protect not only lions but wildlife as a whole. It is high time to conserve our nature and preserve ecological balance.
Let’s save LIONS!
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