WORLD LION DAY

BY DR. RAVINDER PALL SAINI

( IFS,RETIRED)

MEMBER, (BOARD OF MANAGEMENT)

FOREST RESEARCH UNIVERSITY (DEHRADUN)

DEHRADUN, 10 AUGUST 2022

Let’s Not Forget This Magnificent Animal.

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 percent from 2015 to 2021. Lions maintain the ecological balance and ensure the protection of natural forests and help in the conservation of biodiversity.

“The lion is majestic and courageous. India is proud to be home to the Asiatic Lion. On World Lion Day, I convey my greetings to all those passionate about lion conservation. It would make you happy that the last few years have seen a steady increase in India’s lion population,” PM Modi tweeted on World Lion Day.

Lion Day aims to raise awareness of the majestic hunter, the ultimate feline, the king of the jungle, the big fluffy kitty of the Serengeti, Gir in India. We should have left it at ‘king of the jungle’.

August 10th is a day for people to come together from across the world to pay tribute to the mighty lion in as many ways as possible. Though a fun and exciting occasion for all, its foundations are based in a very serious matter: lion numbers have dramatically declined to the point where the species needs to be placed on the endangered list, just like its larger cousin the tiger.

Save And Help in Lion Conservation too with same zeal as we do for Tiger. Species needs to be placed on the endangered list, just like its larger cousin the Tiger.

Lions – with the scientific name Panthera leo – are the second-largest cat in the world, just behind the Asian tiger. These immense creatures, weighing between 300 and 550 pounds, have sparked the popular imagination for centuries, inspiring awe through their speed and muscular power.

Three million years ago, lions roamed all over Africa and the Eurasian supercontinent. But today, various ice ages and changes in the natural environment means that their range is reduced primarily to Africa and select parts of Asia.

According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN), 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.