Species on the Brink: Kenya’s Lions Nearing Extinction

Kenya’s wild lions could be annihilated within 20 years, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service. For almost a decade, the country has been losing 100 big cats a year, and the current population of 2,000 could be gone by 2030.

Conservationists are blaming habitat destruction, animal disease, and conflict with humans for the rapid decline in numbers. Wildlife biologist and conservationist Laurence Frank told the New Scientist that the future is bleak. “Only drastic action on many fronts – policy change, effective law enforcement, giving rural people an economic stake in their natural heritage, and a great deal of investment – will prevent the loss of wildlife in Africa," he said. Read the full story in the New Scientist here.

To see the lions for yourself—and help contribute to an economy that values living felines—here are some of Global Travel Editor Costas Christ's recommended trips in Africa. You can also find a top-rated adventure travel tour company with our ratings tool (ngadventure.com/ratings). –Text by Alyson Sheppard