Disney launches new campaign to protect the lion population
Disney is launching a global conservation campaign to raise awareness of the crisis facing lions and other wildlife across Africa to celebrate the release of the new “The Lion King” film.
The “Protect the Pride” campaign focuses on protecting and revitalizing the lion population, with Disney lending its support to the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund.
One of the goal’s of the Lion Recovery Fund is to double the lion population across Africa by 2050 through efforts that engage communities to ensure a future for African wildlife and their habitats.
In the 25 years since Disney released the original version of “The Lion King,” Africa’s lion population has been
“Disney is committed to supporting lion conservation efforts and we believe “The Lion King” is the perfect story to remind us of the role each of us has in ensuring a world where these majestic animals are treasured and protected,” Elissa Margolis, senior vice president, Enterprise Social Responsibility for The Walt Disney Company, said.
Disney is planning to contribute $3 million to the Lion Recovery Fund and its partners. This will mark the largest single contribution in the 24-year history of the Disney Conservation Fund, which has previously directed $75 million to save wildlife globally, including $13 million to protect African wildlife spanning more than 30 countries.
To kick off The Lion King Protect the Pride campaign, Disney and the World Conservation Network recently assembled more than 80 of the world’s leading lion conservation experts, from 18 countries and representing more than 50 organizations, for the Lion Footprint Forum. During the meeting—the first of its kind in 20 years—the participants collaborated to develop strategies to address challenges impacting lion populations and help ensure a future for the species, as well as other wildlife across Africa.
Additional information about the LRF’s lion conservation efforts may be found at LionRecoveryFund.org.
