African lions are stunning and iconic creatures in danger of extinction.

Wild populations of African lions have dwindled by almost 50 % in the last 30 years, and we’re fighting to protect these cats from trophy hunters and the wildlife trade. Domestically, we work to keep lions out of the entertainment industry and roadside zoos, where they suffer needlessly.

Cecil the lion at sunset
Cecil, a famed black-maned lion in Zimbabwe, was lured with bait, shot with an arrow and suffered for more than ten hours before his hunters tracked and finished killing him. Cecil's death in 2015 sparked international outrage. His son, Xanda, met a similar fate two years later.
Ed Hetherington
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African lions need protection.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has weakened protections for African lions, announcing in March 2018 that it was lifting previous bans on the import of lion trophies from certain African countries. The Humane Society of the United States, joining Humane Society International and other partners, sued to prevent the lifting of the bans.

A four-lion taxidermy at the Safari Club International's 2020 annual convention
The HSUS
Did you know?

Widely known as the “kings of the jungle,” lions actually live in vast grasslands.

A hunter posing with a zebra he shot at a captive hunting ranch in South Africa.

Hundreds of thousands of wild animals in the U.S. and around the world are killed every year and millions are at risk from other threats. Your generous gift will save wildlife from being killed just for a trophy by supporting our work to ban trophy hunting.

The HSUS