Conservation status
Lions face threats from hunting, habitat loss and diseases that can be spread from domestic dogs in nearby villages, according to the National Zoo.
African lions are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This is because their numbers are decreasing. Their current population is estimated at 30,000 to 100,000. The population has been almost cut in half in the past two decades because of retaliatory killings by farmers (whose livestock the lions eat), as well as from trophy hunting and habitat loss.
Asiatic lions are in a much more perilous position as human encroachment has reduced their habitat. The IUCN lists them as endangered and says only about 350 of them exist. This group includes only about 175 mature individuals.