Lions: An apex predator under threat

They're the top of the food chain and the kings and queens of whichever plains they roam. African lions are also perhaps the most sociable of the big cats, they stick together in their prides. An enduring symbol of strength and majesty, it's perhaps hard for some to believe that these animals are under threat.

Lions were once found in the wild across the African continent from Algeria to Lesotho. They're now only found in sub-Saharan Africa, with the largest populations in Tanzania, according to WWF. But their numbers are under threat there too: They've disappeared from 12 sub-Saharan countries in the past few decades.

Lion populations have dropped 43 percent over 21 years, according to 2016 figures. They're now classified as vulnerable. Some 20,000 are left in the wild. The animals play an important role as apex predators and their disappearance is a loss to the grasslands and woodlands they roam. Lions help maintain a balance among other animals, particularly herbivores, such as wildebeest.

Africa's population is 1.2 billion and growing. That's putting pressure on habitats and the animals that live in them. Lions on the continent have been reduced to living on 8 percent of the land they once occupied, according to WWF. Some populations have become cut off by an increasing road network and expanding farms and cities. This affects their ability to breed and reduces access to prey.

As people expand into new territories, they are more likely to come into contact with the big cats. And naturally, most are afraid of the fearsome animals. Farmers struggling to get by sometimes shoot lions that attack their cattle. Livestock can also transmit diseases fatal to lions. Conservation groups are trying to convince those living close to the felines to help protect them.

Even an apex predator like the lion is powerless in the face of poachers armed with traps, poison and guns. The cats often get caught in snares set up for other animals like zebras that are traded as bush meat. In some cases, lions are poached for their whiskers, bones and tails, which are used in tradiational medicines and rituals.

Lion populations have grown in countries, such as South Africa and Zimbabwe, where they are well-protected and intensive conservation efforts have been under way for years. But it will take a pan-African push and lots of political will to bring the cats back from the brink, say conservationists.