Photo by beverlyjoubert | A male lion striding across the Kenyan grasslands is such a powerful symbol of wilderness. Outside of protected areas, lion populations have declined dramatically across Africa. Kenya stands out as a stronghold that will be critical in the fight to conserve them. The loss of any single species sends ripples through entire ecosystems, but if big cats were to disappear, the impact would be devastating on a truly profound scale. As apex predators, they play an outsize role in maintaining the delicate balance that makes for healthy and resilient ecosystems. If we want to protect the planet’s rapidly diminishing biodiversity, focusing on big cats makes sense. When wilderness is protected to provide predators like lions with the space they need to thrive, a multitude of other species benefit. The fate of big cats is inextricably linked with the fate of Africa’s natural heritage. #WorldLionDay