How wildlife conservation groups are protecting the African lion

August 25, 2014 admin Africa Wildlife Foundation, Tunde Folawiyo, tunde folawiyo africa, tunde folawiyo film festival, tunde folawiyo oil, tunde folawiyo profile, Uncategorized, West African Lion

A number of well-known global conservation groups, including the Endangered Wildlife Trust, have warned the falling numbers of rhinos in Africa have resulted in a surge in lion deaths, as poachers are now looking for a new ‘product’ to replace rhino horn, which is usually used in medicinal concoctions in Asian countries. Poachers are now selling lion bones on the black market, claiming that they can be used in remedies to cure various forms of disease.

Although the sudden increase in lion poaching is no doubt upsetting to conservation enthusiasts like Tunde Folawiyo, there is still hope for this species. Organisations such as the Wilderness Foundation and Four Paws are working hard to protect the African lion. This coming September, the former will be hosting a gala charity auction to raise money for its Forever Wild Lion project; in the past, these types of events have been shown to be a highly effective way to generate funding for the protection of endangered species. At last year’s event, for example, the gala dinner netted close to R300,000 for the Wilderness Foundation’s rhino fund.

The above-mentioned Four Paws also goes to great lengths to protect the African lion. It is heavily focused on rescuing animals that are kept in captivity, such as big cats that are used in the entertainment industry, and in zoos. This organisation carried out its first ‘rescue mission’ 12 years ago, when four lion cubs that were being used as a tourist attraction in a Romanian zoo were sent to live in Four Paw’s South African sanctuary, ‘Lions-rock’. Five years later, they saved another ten lions that had been living in captivity in Austria.

More recently, the organisation saved six lions – Gypsy, Pregan, Simba, Neida, Nora and Kongo – each of whom had previously been residing in a zoo or a circus. After several months of working with veterinarians and animal keepers, Four Paws were able to transfer and release the lions into Lions-rock. There are now 14 tigers and 86 lions living in this sanctuary. This number is likely to rise over the course of the next few years, as the need to protect this species becomes greater.

As someone who is deeply concerned with wildlife conservation, Tunde Folawiyo is undoubtedly pleased to hear of the tireless efforts of groups like Four Paws. To learn more about his interest in this subject, watch the videos of Tunde Folawiyo on Dailymotion.

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