August 10, 2022

World Lion Day: Let's Protect the "Kings of the Jungle"

The Lion, strong, majestic, bold and ferocious! Also famously known as “The King of The Jungle” for their massive size and their brute strength.

Lions live up to their reputation of being one of the most powerful creatures in the world!

A lion’s roar is arguably one of the most iconic animal sounds in the world. It can be heard from several kilometers away, safely described as blaring and thunderous! Roars are used as an indicator of territory by males and can also be used to locate distant pride members.

Sadly, the number of lions over the years has rapidly declined. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed The Lion as vulnerable due to the 45% decrease in their population. The Lion has always been the symbol of Africa, and they need our help!

Their numbers have plummeted due to various factors:

1. Lion Trading

Despite claims that trophy hunting brings millions of dollars to local communities and contributes to conservation efforts, only about 3% of the revenue goes to those communities. And with lions listed as vulnerable, lion populations should be protected, not opened up to hunting.

2. Loss of Habitat

The loss of habitats is the leading cause of wildlife extinction and a reason why so many animals are endangered. Wild land is harvested for developments and agriculture and pushing lions (and many other animals) out of their natural habitats.

Across Africa, lions now occupy less than 92% of the land they once did. This loss of habitat has extreme consequences. Lions no longer have access to the vast stretches of savanna grasslands they need to find food, viable mating partners, and thrive as a pride.

These diminishing habitats also mean humans and lions are being pushed closer together. Without a habitat that can support their needs, lions are forced to venture into villages and kill the livestock communities rely on for survival. The communities have no choice but to kill lions that get too close.

Lions once roamed across most of the continent, but they have been thrust into a world where they are struggling to survive and it has had devastating consequences on this once mighty species.

3. Climate Change

Climate is a very grim, very real threat facing humans and animals, and lions are not exempt.

Their survival depends on their ability to adapt to these changing ecosystems and the changing planet. To adapt to shifting weather patterns and changing habitats, animals migrate to new places that offer more suitable conditions.

Regrettably, many of the lion populations across Africa are confined to game reserves and national parks and are dependent on humans for the management of this habitat. As climate change intensifies and the land becomes more arid and inhospitable, maintaining these habitats becomes more complicated. If those habitats are lost too, lions will have nowhere to go. This will accelerate the decline of African lions and drive them to extinction in the blink of an eye.

At Ocean Sole, we have heard the plight of the lions and we feel obligated to bring awareness to them and help preserve and conserve these great creatures!

We make upcycled Flip Flop sculptures in small, medium, large, extra-large, double extra-large and sometimes master pieces. When we sell these pieces, we donate the profits to help organizations that lead the fight in lion conservation and preservation.

For our small lion pieces, we use 4 flip flops and it will take 4 hours to complete. Our medium pieces require 7 hours of work, and 10 Flip flops! Our large lion pieces will take 16 hours to complete and will use 15 flip flops. To make our extra-large lion pieces it takes 45 hours and 35 flip flops. The double extra large pieces require 82 hours and 85 flip flops to make.

You can champion the cause to protect our lions by purchasing any of our lion artworks, talking to friends and family about their situation, and donating to organizations that are fighting to preserve and protect the lion.

This World Lion Day gives us an opportunity to do something meaningful for our wildlife. Individually, we can all contribute to changing the future of our lions and give them a chance at survival.

Purchase our Flip Flop Lion Sculptures here!

We can make earth a safe place for Lions. As they used to roar in the wild years ago in large numbers so shall they roar again! Your support counts!

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Email hello@oceansoleafrica.com for custom projects, creative ideas, or just to see how to stay connected & get involved with our mission!

Written by: Maureen Simba

Comments

Gilbert said:

Great blog about king of the jungle

August 12, 2022
Samuel Mwangi said:

The Article is very enlightening. We should have more authors writing about environment conservation. This writing will go a long way in creating awareness on protecting the lions , the King of the Jungle.

August 12, 2022