Those of you who have read my book Becoming Fearless: Finding Courage in the African Wilderness know I left Tanzania with a great respect and affection for the wild inhabitants of the Selous Game Reserve. In just a few days, the world will be celebrating two of those species and I hope you'll join me in recognizing their important places in our world.
World Lion Day - August 10th
Population decreased 43% in 21 years
Regionally extinct in15 African
countries
Declared 'vulnerable' in1996 by IUCN
Humans are pushing big cats out of their habitats.
This cat’s population is steadily decreasing in the wild. In just two decades, populations decreased by 43 percent, and it’s estimated that as few as 23,000 remain today. One of the main causes is the alarming rate at which they are losing their habitats due to expanding human populations and the resulting growth of agriculture, settlements, and roads.
Human-wildlife conflict is also a major threat.
As lion habitats shrink, the big cats are being forced into closer quarters with humans. This, coupled with a decrease in their natural prey, causes them to attack livestock. In turn, farmers oftentimes retaliate and kill these big majestic cats.
They are hunted by humans.
These big cats are being killed in rituals of bravery, prized as hunting trophies, and, increasingly, for their body parts' perceived medicinal and magical powers.
Challenges
For more information please go to https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/lion
World Elephant Day - August 12th
"I have spent hours and hours watching elephants, and come to understand what emotional creatures they are…it’s not just a species facing extinction, it’s massive individual suffering."
Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, DPhil, CBE, Founder and CEO of Save the Elephants
Elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. An estimated 100 African elephants are killed each day by poachers seeking ivory, meat and body parts, leaving only 400,000 remaining. An insatiable lust for ivory products in the Asian market makes the illegal ivory trade extremely profitable, and has led to the slaughter of tens of thousands of African elephants. Between 2010 and 2014, the price of ivory in China tripled, driving illicit poaching through the roof. If the elephants are to survive, the demand for ivory must be stopped. As of 2011, the world is losing more elephants than the population can reproduce, threatening the future of African elephants across the continent. Bull elephants with big tusks are the main targets and their numbers have been diminished to less than half of the females. Female African elephants have tusks and are also killed, which has a terrible effect on the stability of elephant societies, leaving an increasing number of orphaned baby elephants. There are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born . . . elephant populations continue to decline.
" I have spent hours and hours watching elephants, and come to understand what emotional creatures they are…it’s not just a species facing extinction, it’s massive individual suffering."
– Dr. Jane Goodall
For more information please go to https://worldelephantday.org/
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