Lion Aid
LION AID is coming to Liverpool
An iconic species faces extinction in our lifetime.
In the 1960’s there were over 200,000 lions in the wild; today there are barely 20,000 still remaining. This is a staggering 90% decline in just 50 years [1]. Those few lions left are largely scattered as small remnant populations across the continent. A recent analysis indicates that there might now be only five locations where lions occur in sufficient numbers to be considered long-term viable [2].
LION AID and our campaign
LION AID is a new charity and its mission is to highlight the plight of the lions and to fund effective programmes to reverse this drastic decline.
We have therefore initiated a campaign called “Where Have all the Lions Gone?” It begins on the 1st March in Glasgow and ends on the 31st March in Trafalgar Square with 11 UK cities (Blantyre, Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Norwich, Birmingham, Bath, Cowes, Portsmouth and Rochester) in between.
The message of the campaign is quite simple. Lose lions in the wild, and lose them at home. Extinction on the African plains means loss of icons and symbols in every-day use.
In each city we will temporarily and symbolically shroud a prominent lion statue with a black cloth bearing the campaign logo to bring the message home.
In addition we will organize a gala dinner and auction in each city where members of the public and local businesses will get the chance to show their support.
Declines and actions
The main reasons for the decline of lions in Africa arise from conflict with expanding human and livestock populations, decrease of habitat and prey, infection with diseases carried by domestic animals, trophy hunting, and protected area infrastructure affected by civil strife.
LION AID aims to fund four practical programmes, assisted scientifically and practically by a diversity of UK and international collaborators.
- First, let’s have an accurate and unbiased count of how many lions are left in key populations.
- Second, let’s assess the disease risks facing those remaining populations.
- Third, let’s make sure that lion populations in designated protected areas are truly protected with the will and commitment of African states. Let’s ensure that the few populations surviving will remain viable by instituting conservation programmes that are relevant, locally acceptable, and durable.
- And fourth, let’s propose addition of the lion to the UNESCO World Heritage Species list to gain international recognition of the importance of lions to our universal culture.
LION AID in Liverpool
On March 8th, LION AID will host a Fundraising Gala Evening at the magnificent St George’s Hall from 7 pm. Art will be auctioned, and tickets for the event are available on the LION AID website ( http://www.lionaid.org/events/fundraising-events/liverpool-gala-dinner-dance-auction). It promises to be an evening of note, all to support LION AID programmes to reverse the decline of Africa’s lions!
And on March 9th, LION AID will temporarily shroud the famous lions outside St George’s Hall from 10am, as a symbolic gesture to represent the loss of wild lions in Africa.
