⇒ World Lion Day is celebrated on August 10 of every year to raise awareness about lions and to mobilise support for their protection and conservation.
Theme:
The theme of the World Lion Day 2021 was ‘Slow Elimination of the African lion’.
Background:
The initiative to protect the big cats started, in 2013. The first World Lion Day was celebrated this year.
According to the World Wide Fund for animals (WWF), lions were once found throughout Africa, Asia and Europe but their numbers have dwindled over the years in these continents.
Lions in India:
India is home to Asiatic Lion. The last remaining population of the Asiatic Lions can be found in Gujarat’s Gir National Park.
The Government of Gujarat conducted the census of the majestic big cats in June 2020.
According to census, India recorded the highest ever increase of 29 per cent in its lion population from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020. The report also cited that their distribution expanded from 22,000 sq. km in 2015 to 30,000 sq. km in 2020.