Lions are an integral part of Africa’s savanna ecosystems.

As top predators, they have disproportionate impacts on all the larger mammalian species, and they are also sensitive to any perturbations in the lower trophic levels. Thus they are both a “keystone species” and a sentinel of ecosystem health.

By 2035, half of Africa’s remaining lions may be gone.

Without policy changes and a fresh approach to conservation, the outlook is dark.

But there is a way forward.

We are learning from the success stories as well as the failures. Help us advance new evidence-based approaches to lion conservation that balance the needs of wildlife and human communities.

Highlights

2021 Lion Center Report

Check out the 2021 Lion Center Report to get the latest look at our efforts to research the African Lion and conserve this iconic species. Read more.

Conserving desert-adapted lions in northwest Namibia

Community conservation approaches for maintaining a unique lion population. In Africa’s second-youngest country communal conservancies ensure rural residents benefit from living alongside wildlife. Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in Namibia is a shining light in African wildlife conservation. This signal success brings new challenges, chiefly increasing levels of human-wildlife conflict. Read more

We are so excited about our partnership with the Disney Conservation Fund and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to bring Snapshot Safari to zoos throughout the United States! Disney has donated a portion of the proceeds from The Lion King premiere to lion conservation, so thank you all for buying your tickets and helping lions! If you would like to make additional gifts to lion conservation, please donate below. 

Dr. Natalia Borrego on why she thinks lions are the smartest of all the cats.