In celebration of World Lion Day today (August 10), Great Plains Conservation, which offers African safari adventures in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kenya, released a video of lions to showcase the wonder and importance of ‘the king of the jungle’.

World Lion Day serves as a platform to educate people about the challenges faced by lions across the world and to promote efforts to conserve them, as well as to celebrate these majestic big cats and their significance in ecosystems and cultures around the world.

Highlighting the roles and challenges faced by lions remain crucial as Africa has lost 90% of its lions over the last 50 years.

The main threats to African lions are human-wildlife conflict and natural prey decline, as well as habitat loss, climate change and wildlife trade.

With around 23 000 African lions left in the wild, they are now officially classified as 'vulnerable', according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.

“There are more lions in statue form, on flags, company logos and letterheads than in the wild. For that reason, a World Lion Day is still relevant and one we celebrate and remember.

“Lions symbolically infiltrate our lives and invade our dreams, but they are also real across our Great Plains portfolio and we’re proud to play a small role in protecting them. A lion safari is the gateway to extraordinary knowledge about the natural world and ourselves,” said Great Plains Conservation.

Watch the video released by Great Plains Conservation below: