The majestic lion that once roamed southern Europe, Asia, and Africa is largely gone today.
Its numbers has decreased by at least 43 percent since the early 1990s and populations today thrive only in designated protected areas.
While the strength, speed, and ferocity of lions has been part of human culture and art for thousands of years, the lion's decline is likely caused by its admirers, as habitat loss and human conflicts chip away at the lion's range. In the 1950s, the lion population was estimated at 200,000. Today estimates vary, but the African Wildlife Foundations sets the number at 23,000.
