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World Lion Day 2021: Date, History, Significance And Interesting Facts About King Of The Jungle
The scientific name of Lion is Panthera Leo and 10 August marks World Lion Day (WLD) to raise awareness and celebrate this majestic animal. Called as the King of the Jungle, this ultimate feline and majestic hunter is often easily recognized with its thick mane, muscular body, and a loud, deafening roar.
World Lion Day 2021: Theme
This year in 2021 the theme of World Lion Day or International Lion Day is "Their Survival is in our hands". Their colour varies from light buff to deep sepia and they typically weigh around 300 and 550 pounds. Apart from this, there are also white coloured lions, but they have become rare to find.
According to the census of the majestic big cats that was conducted by the Gujarat government in June last year, it showed a rise. India recorded the highest ever increase of 29 per cent in its lion population from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020. The report also cited that their distribution expanded from 22,000 sq. km in 2015 to 30,000 sq. km in 2020.
Some reports suggest that with only 2300 species remaining and at the current rate of habitat loss and poaching, African Lions can be completely extinct by 2050.
World Lion Day: History and Significance
Lions are the second largest cat in the world and they are just behind the Asian tiger. These majestic animals roamed all over Africa and the Eurasian supercontinent three million years ago and due to changes in the natural environment, their range is reduced primarily to Africa and selected parts of Asia.
To celebrate, raise awareness and find sustainable solutions to protect and save global wild lion populations from extinction, World Lion Day (WLD) is celebrated. It was Dereck Joubert and Beverly Joubert who founded WLD in 2013. To protect the remaining lions in the world, they brought together both National Geographic and the Big Cat Initiative under a single banner.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, lions are a "vulnerable" species, meaning that their numbers could and should be higher. Currently, researchers estimate that there are between 30,000 and 100,000 lions left on planet Earth. Without significant intervention, there is a chance that they could find themselves on the endangered list alongside other species most at risk of extinction.
African lions have no natural predators but unthinkably their numbers have plummeted by over 40% in the last three generations, due to loss of living space and conflict with people and now this species are considered 'vulnerable' on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In some parts of Africa, lions are classified as "critically endangered" because lion populations are still plummeting at an unprecedented rate, mentions WWF website.
In the last century, the lion population in Africa has decreased by 90% and they are extinct in 26 countries across Africa. Thanks to volunteer programs such as African Big 5 & Wildlife Conservation and Big Cat Wildlife Research & Conservation, the lion population is slowly bouncing back and thriving in some areas.
Aslo, as per the census of the majestic big cats that was conducted by the Gujarat government in June last year, it showed a rise. India recorded the highest ever increase of 29 per cent in its lion population from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020. The report also cited that their distribution expanded from 22,000 sq. km in 2015 to 30,000 sq. km in 2020.
World Lion Day: Interesting Facts
1.
The
name
for
lion
in
Swahili,
an
African
language,
is
'simba'.
2.
Lions
are
the
most
sociable
of
all
big
cats
and
they
live
in
groups
called
prides.
3.
In
the
wild,
males
typically
live
12
years;
females
average
a
lifespan
of
15
years.
Also,
the
male
lions
possess
an
iconic
mane,
long
thick
hair
around
their
head,
neck
and
shoulder
which
makes
them
appear
larger
and
more
intimidating.
4.
Female
lions
are
the
main
hunters
and
while
they
search
for
food,
the
males
guard
the
pride's
territory
and
their
young.
5.
Fully
mature
males
weigh
between
330
and
550
lbs.;
females
weigh
between
265
and
395
lbs.
6.
A
lion's
roar
can
be
heard
up
to
eight
kilometres
away.
7.
Lions
usually
hunt
in
the
dark
due
to
the
different
skills
of
their
eyes
over
dark
and
this
provides
them
a
huge
advantage
over
their
prey.
8.
Lions
have
significantly
more
rod
cells
than
cone
cells
in
the
retina
of
their
eyes,
especially
when
compared
to
humans.
Lions
have
around
25
rods
to
each
cone,
while
humans
have
about
4
rods
to
each
cone.
9.
A
lion
usually
lives
for
max
16
years
within
the
wild
and
25
years
in
captivity.
10.
A
lion's
heels
don't
touch
the
ground
when
it
walks.
We now have all the more reasons why we all need to come together and participate to protect these majestic Lions. And now is the time to guard and protect these big cats, especially by protecting their habitat. This will truly make a difference to preserve and improve the population of lions.