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The lion (Panthera leo), once widely distributed across most of Africa and parts of Europe and Asia, is now confined to a number of isolated areas as shown on the map, amounting to only about 20% of its historic range. Around a hundred years ago there were likely as many as 200,000 lions living wild in Africa. Recent surveys put the number of wild lions at around 30,000 or even as low as 20,000. Around a third of African lions are thought have disappeared in the past 20 years. Much of this shrinking distribution has been due to hunting and loss of habitat. Lions (Panthera leo) are the second largest living cat, after the tiger. This iconic animal is renowned for its majestic appearance and is often referred to as “the king of beasts”, possessing both beauty and strength. Lions, particularly male lions, have been an important symbol for thousands of years and appear as a theme in cultures across Europe, Asia, and Africa. They are commonly employed as an emblem in heraldry, and have been widely featured in sculpture and statuary to provide a sense of majesty and awe, especially on public buildings. We even use ‘lionize’ as a term of adulation, celebration and admiration. Lions currently face three main interlinked threats: Continued loss of habitat Loss of their prey base Conflict with humans The human population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to double by the year 2050, which will result in more conversion of habitat to agriculture, more hunting of the wild ungulates the lions depend upon for prey, and more instances of hungry lions attacking livestock and then being killed in retaliation. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), retaliatory or pre-emptive attacks against lions are the worst threats the species faces. The IUCN lists African lions as a whole as vulnerable to extinction. Poaching also poses a major threat since lion bone is used for medicinal purposes in countries such as Laos, Vietnam and China. Legal sport hunting of lions is also viewed by many conservation groups as a significant threat, although it is more controversial. Many people view it as a senseless and fundamentally immoral activity that should be stopped, while others such as IUCN and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are willing to tolerate it, but only if the revenues generated are used to support conservation efforts. On a more positive note, conservation efforts have had some success, especially in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Kruger National Park in South Africa, each of which is home to large numbers of lions.