Half of all wild lions have been lost in the past 25 years with as few as 20,000 remaining in Africa. In 2010, lions were declared at risk of extinction in Malawi. Habitat loss and fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, prey base depletion, and the illegal trades in bushmeat as well as carnivore parts are all driving the decline.  Lions are the ultimate ‘indicator species’ of healthy intact landscapes, and restoring lions and their habitats is a key conservation goal for the Department of National Parks & Wildlife (DNPW).

This campaign – a joint initiative between DNPW, LWT, and the Lion Recovery Fund – aims to build political and public will, re-framing lions in terms of their cultural, ecological and economic values to encourage peaceful  and respectful co-existence.  It shall compliment LWT-supported justice initiatives to combat illegal wildlife trade and species management projects such as African Parks’ re-introductions that are helping to re-establish prides in Malawi’s national parks.