BIOPARC Valencia joins the celebration of World Day, reinforcing its commitment to conservation to prevent the extinction of the "king of the jungle."
Ten years after the hunt for the iconic Cecil, which shocked the world, the scientific community is warning about its delicate situation, a victim of these human actions and the destruction of its habitat. On the occasion of the World Lion Day, BIOPARC Valencia shares the commemoration of This emblematic species can be seen in the park since its openingIn 2025, it will also be ten years since Cecil the Lion was killed by a hunter, an event that marked a turning point in global awareness of these practices and the danger of extinction facing these felines. The image of the two hunters posing next to the "trophy" of this famous and impressive Zimbabwean animal caused a huge social outcry.
In one century, 90% of lions have disappeared, half of them in the last two decades.
According to data from the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) its status is vulnerable to extinction and it is currently estimated that there are between 22.000 and 25.000 leones (panthera leo), which represents a 50% decrease compared to 2006 and a dramatic balance of extermination of 90% of its population in a centuryThis alarming fall makes the role of centers like BIOPARC, which participates in the international program (EEP) for its preservation, be crucial to ensuring their survival, as recommended by this same organization.
The park is home to the little-known subspecies "African Lion"(Panthera leo bleyenberghi).
The BIOPARC Valencia group is made up of A male (8-year-old Lubango) and three females (Luana, Tata and Shanga aged 18, 13 and 9 respectively). The area that faithfully recreates the so-called Kopjes of the savannah with their impressive rocky watchtowers allows you to contemplate in all their majesty these great felines that represent the beauty of wild nature. Without a doubt, one of the most striking images for the thousands of people who visit the park and you can admire them watching their prey, such as antelopes or giraffes, without any apparent barrier, thanks to the avant-garde design of zoomimmersion characteristic of BIOPARC.
Among the latests Moravia's compositions main threats that put the lion at risk of disappearing are the loss of their natural habitats, due to human pressure, with the expansion of agriculture and aquaculture, hunting, deforestation, human disturbances—such as armed conflicts—and pollution. Added to this are especially cruel practices, such as the use of its bones as a substitute for tiger bones in certain traditional Asian medicines, or the so-called “canned game”, in which lions are raised in captivity and then “released” into fenced enclosures, where hunters, for a fee, can easily shoot them down.
BIOPARC is taking advantage of this day to reinforce the message about the urgent need to protect lions.
The key is in the education and mobilization of society, at the same time as in the campaigns of this species, whose greatest threat is the human species. Taking as a reference the message of the BIOPARC Foundation, must break with indifference, it is essential to become aware of the damage we are causing to nature and, with it, to the planet's biodiversity. Only with an urgent and global change of attitude, will we be able to feel proud that future generations will continue to be excited by the roar of the sun. “king of the jungle”.
