Featured photograph by Stephi Matsushima
World Lion Day, celebrated annually on August 10, is an opportunity to highlight the increasing threats that one of the planet’s most iconic species faces with each passing year. For Matthew Smith Becker, a National Geographic Explorer, lion conservationist and CEO of the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP), the fate of lion populations has been a lifelong focus. “The current state of African lions is not good. They’ve disappeared from most of their historical range. And in the areas that they remain in, they’re subject to a whole array of negative human impacts.”
Beyond their grand status as “kings of the jungle,” lions serve a critical ecological purpose. As apex predators, they shape ecosystems, regulate herbivore populations and maintain balance among other carnivores. Their presence determines broader ecosystem health. As Becker explains, “they’re an umbrella species: By conserving them, you conserve a whole lot of other species and a whole lot of habitat.”
To protect and eventually replenish lion populations, Becker and his team at the Zambian Carnivore Programme, with support from the National Geographic Society, have implemented a number of innovative approaches, including an anti-snaring program. (Snaring is a method of trapping game that both depletes lions’ natural prey and ensnares lions.)
“We have been dealing with bushmeat trade, specifically the impact of snaring, for many years. We developed what we call the Field-Based Protection, or the halo approach.” This method combines intensive monitoring of prides, de-snaring them with field-based vet teams, and sharing information about lions’ whereabouts with law enforcement partners to target areas of high use and high risk. Since 2008, they’ve removed over 50 snares from lions, saving hundreds of cubs in the process. “If we hadn’t desnared all the lions we’d desnared, the population would have gone from stable to declining.”
ZCP Kafue veterinarian Michelo Mungolo (left), accompanied by a DNPW scout, collars an immobilized lioness in Kafue National Park. Satellite collars provide daily locations of lions to facilitate field-based protection, including guiding anti-snare patrols and desnaring.
Photograph by Stephi Matsushima
Human activity is at the core of the lions’ population decline. As human populations grow and expand into wildlife habitats, pressures on natural resources increase, with practices like bushmeat trading causing additional strain. According to Becker, this creates a multi-pronged problem. When natural prey becomes scarce or habitats shrink, lions turn to livestock as a food source. In response, community members often feel compelled to protect their livelihoods, which can lead to human-lion conflict.
But coexistence between humans and lions is possible, and Zambia provides a promising example of what it looks like. In South Luangwa, where there are no fences separating people from the wildlife, Becker has seen firsthand how communities can live alongside big cats. “I think one of the most amazing things about working in Zambia is there’s a lot of coexistence already. We have a coexistence program, but it’s in no small part built upon the coexistence that’s already happening — and has happened for a long time in Zambia.”
These successful lion conflict mitigation programs are led by local conservationists, typically from these same communities, and trained through long-term, grassroots initiatives. Having that field-based presence, according to Becker, has ensured that his team has been ready to adapt and respond to the challenges and opportunities of lion conservation.
Another major challenge to lion conservation is funding, as wildlife protection carries a hefty price tag. Protecting just a single pride means funding anti-poaching patrols, veterinary teams, community outreach and ecological monitoring. The Society has played a long-term role in sponsoring and promoting ZCP’s conservation efforts. “The Society has enabled us, given us support, helped us develop as an organization, and empowered some of Zambia’s bright stars. I think there’s a lot of really outstanding people that are up-and-coming in Zambia and on the continent, and National Geographic is a real leader in making that happen.”
Despite the challenges, Becker remains hopeful, especially when he sees young conservationists taking the reins. “A mentor of mine said, ‘It’s not what you do, it’s who you train,’” he reflects. Through training programs supported by the Society, his team now numbers over 100 and mentors 35 to 55 trainees per year, including Women in Wildlife Conservation Training Program participants and students in veterinary school. With some of Africa’s largest and longest-running lion conservation projects, this is an ideal training ground, and ZCP has now begun leveraging this work to help train lion conservationists on emerging projects across the continent.
A lion rests on a tree branch in Kafue National Park, Zambia.
Photograph by Anna Kusler
“I think at heart, we’re optimistic,” Becker says. “There’s a lot of promising work going on with lions.”
For those who care but feel powerless, Becker has a simple message: You can make a difference.
“Nothing is going to change unless we do it. Be informed and involved. Stay optimistic. Spread the word,” he says. Whether by donating or raising awareness, your support helps keep lions from disappearing into memory.
National Geographic Explorer Matthew Smith Becker is a conservation biologist and the CEO and Programme Director of the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP), a science-based conservation organization that conducts long-term conservation work on large carnivores across Zambia.
This World Lion Day, let’s help Explorers like Matthew ensure a peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife. Your generous contribution to the National Geographic Society will directly support vital conservation efforts that help protect the wonder of our world. Donate before August 31 to make an impact.
Princess, a collared female lion of the Shumba pride found in Kafue National Park’s Busanga Plains, and her cub seek shade after eating.
Photograph by Johane Njobvu
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Melat Kanja is the summer 2025 Engagement & Marketing Strategy Intern at the Society. Being born and raised in Kenya inspired her love for big cats. She has a passion for storytelling and its ability to create positive change, and is pursuing a degree in Public Policy with a concentration in communications at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.