Draft:World Lion Day

World Lion Day
World Lion Dayis an international annual event on August 10, dedicated to raising awareness of, and support for, the conservation needs of lions (Panthera leo). Conceived by conservationists Rae Kokeš and David Youldon, then both working for the conservation charity The African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (ALERT), with the launch event taking place in Livingstone, Zambia on August 10, 2013. Since that time, World Lion Day is now recognized by many wildlife organizations and celebrated annually across the globe.

Mission
World Lion Day was conceived to create awareness of the conservation needs of lions, and to promote engagement with organizations undertaking conservation efforts for lions via fundraising events, donations and other means of support. Lions are listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, with a decreasing population of 23,000 mature individuals and a decline in the species' range of 36% over three generations

History
The first World Lion Day event was held on August 10, 2013. Since then it has been celebrated annually around the world through art, photography and cultural events with conservation and media organizations promoting events to support lion conservation efforts.

Issues
The principal threats to lion populations include: habitat loss, indiscriminate killing (primarily in response to human-lion conflict), prey base depletion and poaching for parts.