Humans are the greatest and cruelest threat facing this emblematic species that encompasses the strength and beauty of wild nature. On World Lion Day, which is celebrated on August 10, the aim is to denounce their worrying situation, with a dramatic decline of 50% in their African populations in the last 15 years.
El August 10th marks World Lion Day, symbolic species that today suffers a “silent extinction” since in the last 15 years their populations in nature have suffered a decrease of almost 50% in the case of the African lion and close to 90% in the case of the Asian one, of which there are barely 500 copies left. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) includes this species on its red list as vulnerable in the case of the African subspecies and endangered for the Asian one, which indicates that it is dangerously close to being threatened with extinction.
World Lion Day.
BIOPARC Valencia welcomes, in its recreation of a Savannah Kopje, an group of lions formed by four females and one male, as happens in nature. Their beauty moves us and awakens the need to protect them. And, above all, it should make us aware that Its threat is caused practically entirely by humans.. On the one hand, the Destruction of their habitat to have crop land or pasture for livestock, which until a few years ago was the main problem for the species. The lion needs large spaces to live and find food sources and man is usurping it, thus reducing their chances of finding prey or forcing them to kill livestock to survive.
The other is your hunt, which includes especially cruel practices such as “canned game”, where thousands of lions are raised on farms and their only destiny is to be killed in a closed space with no possibility of escape to secure the coveted trophy. Today one new threat, larger and even more devastating, has come to decimate African populations of the emblematic feline. The Chinese traditional medicine is running out of tiger bones because there are so few left that it is very difficult to get them. African lions have become a substitute and illegal trafficking networks already feed the Chinese pharmacopoeia from the coasts of Africa.
In addition to the pack, BIOPARC is also the home of a very old lioness who is very loved by everyone.. Her name is Fa and we could say that she is an “old woman” because in April she turned 19 years old. Fa was left alone after the death of her companion, the majestic Cheops, in December 2017. We can see her every afternoon enjoying the outdoor enclosure within the well-being protocol established for her by the park's technical team. This lioness from the old Viveros zoo was transferred to BIOPARC when it opened and found in Cheops a companion with whom they shared the years of maturity.
Today it is important to know and not forget that the loss of this emblematic species in nature, a symbol in many cultures and religions, is getting closer if we do not take action. global and personal measures of respect for the planet and all its inhabitants.
World Elephant Day.
El next day 12 This same month another iconic animal will celebrate its World Day and is also represented in BIOPARC. It is the imposing elephant, another species that is moving towards the abyss of extinction pushed by the hand of humans.
As with lions, so with elephants It is in our hands to turn this situation around through education, awareness and active conservation actions.
