World Lion Day 2023: Date, history, significance and celebration

The lions are often referred to as the “king of the jungle” across the world but these magnificent Panthera leo are facing numerous threats in the wild where these threats include habitat loss through deforestation or threats of poaching, conflict with humans, climate change and depletion of their natural prey hence, World Lion Day is observed annually on a global scale to raise awareness about their conservation and protection. The day serves as a platform to educate people about the challenges faced by the lions across the world and to promote efforts to conserve them as well as to celebrate these majestic big cats and their significance in ecosystems and cultures around the world.

Date:

World Lion Day is observed on August 10 each year.

History:

World Lion Day was first established in 2013 by Big Cat Rescue, the world’s largest accredited sanctuary dedicated to lions and it was co-founded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, a husband-and-wife team who recognised the need to draw attention to the declining lion populations and the threats they were facing in the wild. In 2009, the Jouberts approached “National Geographic” and formed a partnership with them to come up with the Big Cat Initiative (B.C.I.).

Later in 2013, they began the initiative to bring together both National Geographic and the Big Cat Initiative under a single banner to protect the remaining big cats living in the wild and since then, World Lion Day is observed annually on August 10 to raise awareness about the conservation issues faced by the lions and to celebrate the beauty and significance of these iconic big cats.

Significance:

World Lion Day plays a vital role in rallying support and action to ensure a future for these remarkable animals in the wild by shining a spotlight on lions and their conservation needs. There is an urgent need for their conservation hence, the day aims to educate people about the importance of lions in ecosystems and their cultural significance.

Celebration:

On World Lion Day, lions and their unique qualities are celebrated through art, photography and cultural events while many organisations, wildlife conservation groups, zoos and individuals participate in activities and campaigns or use this day to raise funds for lion conservation projects, anti-poaching efforts, habitat protection and research initiatives. Workshops, seminars, webinars and public talks are often organised on this day to provide information about lions, their behaviour, threats and conservation strategies.

Social media platforms play a significant role in spreading awareness on World Lion Day where hashtags, posts and videos are shared to reach a wider audience while some efforts focus on advocating for stronger wildlife protection laws and policies to safeguard lions and their habitats besides encouraging local communities to participate in lion conservation and promoting coexistence between lions and humans, which is an important aspect of the day.