Adopt a Lion

Lions are losing ground

Lions once roamed across vast areas of Africa and Asia, but today their remaining populations are increasingly restricted to smaller, fragmented landscapes.

Approximately 23,000 lions are estimated to remain in Africa, and the species is classified as Vulnerable. Their range is thought to have declined by around 34% over approximately 21 years, with many surviving populations becoming increasingly isolated.

Habitat loss, declining prey populations and conflict with people all threaten wild lions. As human activity expands into their habitat, lions may prey on livestock and face retaliatory poisoning, shooting or trapping. Poaching and trophy hunting can place further pressure on vulnerable populations.

How your lion adoption helps overseas

The Aspinall Foundation works with partners in South Africa to rescue lions in danger and give captive-born animals the opportunity to live in larger, more natural environments.

In April 2022, The Aspinall Foundation and its partners at Love Lions Alive helped rescue of a small male lion cub, who was being held in appalling conditions on a farm in South Africa. Severely dehydrated, malnourished and showing signs of neurological damage, the young lion needed urgent veterinary treatment. He was named Umbhali, meaning ‘author’ in Zulu, because he refused to let his cruel beginning determine the rest of his story.

Umbhali continued his recovery at the Love Lions Alive sanctuary, where he received specialist care and the opportunity to begin a safer new chapter alongside another young rescued lion.

In May 2022, lion brothers Azi and Zazu travelled from Howletts Wild Animal Park to South Africa to begin a carefully managed journey towards life in the wild.

After settling into a much larger acclimatisation area, the brothers progressed to a protected wilderness setting where they could begin learning to hunt. In August 2024, Azi successfully brought down prey for the first time, demonstrating that the natural instincts of a captive-born lion can remain strong.

Adopt a lion with The Aspinall Foundation and help us rescue animals in danger and give captive-born lions the opportunity to live closer to the wild, where they belong.

Fun facts about lions

• The Swahili word for lion is simba.
• A family group of lions is known as a pride, while a group of male lions is called a coalition.
• Lions are the most social of the world’s wild cat species. Pride members may hunt together, defend a shared territory and help care for one another’s cubs.
• Lions can eat up to around 40kg of meat in a single meal.
• Lions sometimes hunt more successfully during storms, when wind and rain can make it harder for prey to detect them approaching.
• Lions can reach speeds of around 80km per hour over short distances, although they cannot maintain this speed for long.
• Lions can sleep or rest for up to 20 hours a day, conserving their energy for hunting and patrolling their territory during the cooler hours.
• A lion’s roar can be heard from several miles away and is used to communicate with pride members and warn rival lions away.