A roaring success with Safina Lion Conservation Fund 🦁

The mane event at our Zoo last week was welcoming Safina Lion Conservation Fund to help us celebrate World Lion Day! 🦁

 Under the watchful eyes of Arusha and Tau, the team shared their expert knowledge with our visitors, inspiring everyone to help protect lions and their habitats.

About Safina Lion Conservation Fund

The Safina Lion Conservation Fund is a charity with a mission to conserve and monitor wild lion populations. Guided by a vision of a future where lions thrive alongside local communities, the fund focuses on conservation and education. Safina’s efforts aim to reduce human-lion conflicts and ensure the long-term survival of viable lion populations in sustainable habitats. Their flagship initiatives, the Future Kings Project and the Better Bomas Project, tackle these challenges head-on by addressing key issues that threaten lion populations.

Sadly, lions have faced dramatic population declines. Historically ranging across Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, the African lion population was estimated at 200,000 in the early 20th century. Today, fewer than 23,000 lions remain, and currently only five countries have populations exceeding 1,000 individuals.

Threats to lions include habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict and poaching.

Lions’ territorial needs and complex social structures often bring them into close contact with human settlements, leading to livestock predation and resulting in tensions with local communities. These challenges drive the critical need for conservation projects like Safina’s.

How You Can Help

Safina Lion Conservation’s work relies on the support of donors and partners. Contributions not only help protect lions but also foster sustainable development in local communities. To learn more about Safina Lion Conservation and how you can get involved, visit their website or follow them on social media.

Together, we can ensure that lions continue to roam Africa’s landscapes, thriving alongside the communities who share their home.

At Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, we have 2 African Lions. A female called Arusha, and her son, Tau. Tau is the grandson of the namesake of the charity, Safina through their late father Masai who was born at Linton Zoo in 2009.

You can read more about Tau's grandmother Safina, who inspired the charity here.

Our New Lion Habitat at the Zoo

The lions’ habitat, designed by specialist zoo architect Jonathan McLoughlin of zoo design consultancy Dearadh Zu, is now open and is a hit with visitors and the pride!

The space has been enhanced and modernised, with the landscape being carefully designed to reflect the lions’ natural environment, featuring elevated mounds allowing them to reach higher ground, and large boulders for climbing and sunbathing.

When you visit us, you will get to experience immersive viewing and educational play opportunities, all while learning about conservation!

Emma Ogborne, Head West Section Keeper at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, shares "Arusha and Tau have really settled into their new home. They love relaxing on the hilltop and taking in the view, and Tau in particular relishes the challenge of leaping for meat from the feeding pole – while Arusha is happy to let him do the hard work before joining in! The bamboo remains their favourite shady spot for an afternoon snooze."

Read more about Project Carnivora here.