World Lion Day – Celebrate the African lion with us!

The scenic African plain stretches as far as the eye can see.

Out in the distance, you catch sight of a pride of lions padding gently across the savannah.

Time immediately stands still.

The mere presence of the lion takes your breath away.

But we need to take care of them if we want to continue to experience the king of the safari. And that is why World Lion Day has come about.

Read about World Lion Day and celebrate the African Lion with us.

What is World Lion Day?

World Lion Day is a tribute to the amazing, fascinating and fear-inducing animal that is the lion.

The lion plays an important role in many respects: biologically, culturally and symbolically. We have statues of lions standing in front of doorways. It is depicted on flags, etc. The lion is a symbol of strength and power – in the Western world, too.

The people behind World Lion Day have created the day to raise awareness about the lion. Their hope is to increase focus on preserving these unique animals. The lion is part of our heritage, now and hopefully in the future, too.

World Lion Day is held on 10 August every year – an appropriate date as it falls under the zodiac sign Leo.

The African lion

The African lion holds a special place in our hearts. It is one of the Big Five animals, and for many of our guests, seeing one is the highlight of their safari in Africa.

And it’s not hard to understand why!

The Lion is quite fascinating.

An endangered species

There are some 20,000 lions in Africa today. But the population is falling, and the lion has become one of the endangered species.

In 1975, there were around 250,000 lions on the African savannahs. This means that the number of lions has fallen by 80–90% over the past 40 years.

How do lions live?

The African lion lives on the savannah or in open spaces such as grasslands.

Lions live in prides of up to 25 animals. The little lion cubs play among their parents, and there are approximately 10–15 females to a pride while there are only 2–4 males.

However, the pride does have an alpha male who decides, and the other males are forced away from the group when they are strong enough to try to take the throne. The females, on the other hand, remain in the pride all their lives, but they don’t actually live all that long. Wild lions often don’t reach more than 12–14 as many die in fights.

Lions are predators. They eat many different animals, but are particularly fond of medium-sized mammals such as antelopes, wildebeest and zebras. If you are lucky, you might witness the lion’s pursuit of one of these animals on your holiday in Africa. Often, however, the lion’s food is the leftovers of other animals. Lions also eat carrion brought down by other predators.

Want to experience the lion right up close?

The African lion can be seen at most of our safari destinations.

Need guidance on which tour to choose? Please contact our travel consultants.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller