World Lion Day: Dates, Meaning, History and Celebration
When is World Lion Day?
Every year, on August 10th, lion enthusiasts worldwide observe this day to raise awareness about the dwindling lion population. Additionally, we recommend acquiring knowledge on methods to aid in the conservation of lion habitats.
In 2013, the co-founders of the Big Cat Initiative and National Geographic, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, collaborated to establish World Lion Day. |
Meaning of World Lion Day and Why is World Lion Day Important?
Lions are in grave danger: The number of wild lions has dropped sharply, and this trend is still going on. For instance, the number of African lions has dropped by 43% since 2001. Lion populations might never get better if we don't help them.
Lions are used for their bones and other body parts. Even though lions don't belong on farms, thousands of them are around the world. In traditional medicine, these are used a lot, even though there is no proof that they work. The lives of these animals are short and painful.
Animals that are social are able to understand how other members of their pride feel. This is called empathy. For instance, they can make other people yawn, just like people do.
Lions are smart; they can figure out puzzles to get food, just like many other animals. In a strange way, they can also learn how to solve a puzzle by watching another lion do it first. This shows that they are smarter and have better social skills than most animals.
Facts About Lion
One of the biggest animal species on Earth is the lion, which is also called Panthera leo. This animal can be any color from light buff to dark reddish brown and weighs between 300 and 550 pounds. It's a surprise that you can also find the very rare white lion in the wild. The lion has a thick mane that makes it easy to spot. It is also very muscular and has a very loud roar. As majestic as lions may look, they are slowly going extinct.
Tigers lived in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East as long ago as 3 million years ago. There are now only two places where loins can live freely in their natural habitat: Africa and Asia. Some lions are also fed bread while they are in captivity.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species says that lions are a vulnerable species. Even though they are not considered an endangered species, they still have to deal with problems that make it hard for them to stay alive.
There are between 30,000 and 100,000 lions left in the world right now. Lion populations have dropped by almost half in the last few decades. The main reasons for the decline in lion populations are trophy hunting and the loss of natural habitat.
History of World Lion Day
Big Cat Rescue, the world's largest accredited sanctuary for big cats, started this event to honor the most beautiful and dangerous animal in the world. On August 10, people from all over the world come together to honor the powerful lion in as many ways as they can. Even though the event is fun and exciting for everyone, it is based on a very serious issue: the number of lions has dropped so much that the species needs to be put on the endangered species list, along with its bigger cousin the tiger.
Dereck and Beverly Joubert, a husband-and-wife team who love big cats, came up with the idea for World Lion Day. The project began in 2013 when National Geographic and the Big Cat Initiative joined forces to protect the last few wild big cats.
It is scientifically known as Panthera leo. The lion is the world's second-largest cat, after the Asian tiger. People have imagined these huge animals, which weigh between 300 and 550 pounds, for hundreds of years. Their speed and strength have made people feel awe.
Tigers lived all over Africa and the Eurasian supercontinent three million years ago. But because of ice ages and changes in the natural environment, they can now only be found in certain parts of Asia and Africa.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says that lions are a "vulnerable" species, which means that there should and could be more of them. Researchers think that there are between 30,000 and 100,000 lions left in the world right now. If serious steps aren't taken, they might end up on the list of endangered species, along with other species that are most likely to go extinct.
So, World Lion Day gives lion lovers all over the world a chance to fight back against the loss of the king of the beasts' range and habitat. These huge animals are some of the biggest species that live on land in the world. They are also some of the most feared predators in the world. If the species disappeared from its natural habitat, it would be a terrible loss for both nature and people.
But the dangers lions face are very real. As "trophy hunting" becomes more popular, they have to deal with both that and people moving into their traditional wildlands. Every year they become more vulnerable because they have less food and more people come to hunt. The number of lions has dropped by fifty percent in the last forty years.
So, there are three goals for World Lion Day. This is done to bring attention to the plight of the lion and the problems it faces in the wild. The second goal is to protect the big cat's natural habitat. One way to do this is to make more national parks and limit the areas where people can live. The third goal is to teach people who live near wild cats about the risks and how to stay safe. There is peace between people and big animals like cats, but only if everyone knows how to do it.
How to celebrate World Lion Day
Your celebration is up to you. Change your social media profile pictures to lions for the day, draw a sketch and share it with friends, find out who has the loudest roar, or get your coworkers to sponsor you to wear a lion jumpsuit to work and donate to Big Cat Rescue.
World Lion Day organizers want to make it easy for anyone to support and protect these majestic beasts for future generations. You can embed World Lion Day images on your website using their code. The link takes visitors to the World Lion Day website to donate for various projects.
World Lion Day offers many charity donation options. African Conservation Foundation, African Parks, Defenders of Wildlife, Ewaso Lions, International Fund for Animal Welfare, LionAid, Lion Guardians, Nikela, Save Animals Facing Extinction, Saving The Lion Foundation, and others support the day. You can donate directly to these organizations or help World Lion Day organizers raise awareness of the many charities working to save lions.
World Lion Day calls for action. They warn that the lion could be extinct if people don't help it today. Thus, the movement aims to spread the message worldwide.
Thus, those interested in helping should at least “like” the official Facebook page and follow @BigCatRescue on Twitter, as the more we raise awareness, the more likely these incredible animals will live forever.
Individuals can make a huge difference. External links generate free organic traffic for the World Lion Day website, reducing outreach costs. If you own a company, blog, or business site, consider adding one of their banners to show your support for this important environmental cause.
The outlook isn't all bad. Lions remain vulnerable, but things are improving. Big cats benefit from the growing demand to preserve the environment as the world becomes wealthier. That makes us roar with delight.
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