A leading NGO working to conserve Africa’s rich wildlife and biodiversity has called upon people to participate proactively in its mission to save West African lions that face extermination due to destruction of their habitat and widespread poaching.

One of the biggest attractions of the entire African continent for tourists is the region’s rich and diverse wildlife and biodiversity. However, over the past several decades, hunting, poaching and loss of habitat due to population growth amongst humans has highly depleted the numbers of many, if not most of these species.

One of the most threatened species, not just in Africa, but across the entire world, is the King of the Jungle, lion, which has been on the brink of extermination in many African countries also, after having disappeared from all other parts of the world, save for the Gir Forest in India where a few dozen Asiatic lions are the only other of these majestic animals living in wilderness.

Within sub-Saharan Africa, which is home to almost all African lions, the animals in one region face particularly high risk of extinction, namely West Africa.

According to Wild Africa Fund, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to conserving the wildlife and biodiversity in Africa, there are barely 120–374 lions remaining. The NGO says that unlike in southern Africa, where these felines are generally well protected and maintain stable populations, West African lions face extinction, losing 99 pc of their historic range.

Wild Africa Fund adds that beyond habitat loss, lions have suffered a decline in prey species such as antelope due to the bushmeat trade and are frequently killed in retaliation for preying on livestock. It adds that the snares and traps set for bushmeat often injure and kill lions, too.

It says that in Nigeria, the fewer than 50 lions left in the wild are found in Kainji Lake National Park and the Yankari Games Reserve, both in northern Nigeria. In Ghana, several researchers have tried to find lions in the wild without success. They have disappeared completely in several West African countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Mali, and Sierra Leone, warns the NGO.

But, on the World Lion Day 2023, earlier this week, Wild Africa Fund said that it was still possible to save the big cats from disappearing entirely from West Africa is the countries and the people participated proactively in conservation efforts.

The NGO has urged the public to protect lions by reducing illegal bushmeat consumption, supporting better protection of their shrinking habitat, and championing anti-poaching measures.

Wild Africa Fund says that it is dedicated to raising awareness and promoting efforts that preserve Africa’s natural beauty and wildlife, as well as the communities that rely on it.

“West African lions might disappear forever if we don’t urgently address the threats they face. If we can protect their habitats more effectively, they could bounce back and boost our tourism,” says Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative for Wild Africa Fund.

Wild Africa Fund adds that it believes it is possible to halt the decline of lions and restore their numbers, following the lead of countries that have brought lion populations back from the brink of extinction.

It cites examples of recent years where conservation efforts have outdone the poachers and other factors harming the lions. It says that in Rwanda, lions were wiped out in the 1990s during the civil war and the 1994 genocide. Subsequently, farmers who settled on land previously inhabited by lions poisoned them to protect livestock. After over a decade of absence, seven lions were reintroduced from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park in 2015, followed by two more male lions added to the park in 2017.

Today the park has a thriving population of about 58 lions. This shows that it is never too late to protect and rebuild West Africa’s critically endangered lions, especially in countries like Ghana, where lions are possibly extinct.

“Lions are perhaps the most iconic African animal and have massive cultural significance. Their disappearance in West Africa would be tragic and squander an opportunity to foster wildlife tourism that has provided millions of jobs in east and southern Africa,” said Peter Knights, co-founder and CEO of Wild Africa Fund.

Wild Africa Fund has launched a month-long public awareness campaign using radio, TV, newspapers, billboard, and social media to inform people about the threats facing West African lions and reduce demand for illegal bushmeat. The campaign will feature messages from top celebrity ambassadors, including Davido and Alex Iwobi, and short documentaries highlighting ongoing efforts to protect lions and their habitat.