In 2019, ecotourism’s Lionscape Coalition was launched as a joint initiative with the Lion Recovery Fund.
Founded by &Beyond,the Conservation Travel Foundation (established by Ultimate Safaris, Namibia), Singita and Wilderness Safaris, this collaboration of expertise and philanthropic investment united behind lion conservation, grew to include Great Plains Conservation, Dazzle Africa, African Bush Camps and Globus Tours.
Africa’s lion population has halved in the past 25 years
According to the latest IUCN assessment, Africa’s current lion status stands as ‘Vulnerable’ to ‘Critically Endangered’. The implications of this are extremely serious. As apex predators, lions are regarded by scientists as an “umbrella” species; if a lion population is thriving, it means the entire ecosystem around it is functioning effectively.