To celebrate the release of Disney’s “The Lion King,” the groundbreaking feature film that will debut on July 19, 2019 in the U.S., Disney and The Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ SAFE African Lions are supporting the Wildlife Conservation Network’s (WCN) Lion Recovery Fund(LRF) and its partners to help African communities and wildlife.

Since Disney’s The Lion King was first released in theaters 25 years ago, we have lost half of Africa’s lions.

Only 20,000 remain. The time to act is now.

Lions are threatened from a combination of factors: habitat loss, loss of prey, coming into conflict with people, and poaching. By protecting lions, we are also protecting the health and well-being of the savanna, wildlife and communities who live alongside them. We, humans, are key to saving species, together we can find solutions that benefit people and wildlife.

There are over 350 lions at 100 AZA accredited zoos. More than 20 AZA-accredited facilities (such as the Phoenix Zoo) support African lion conservation already. In 2017, AZA accredited facilities reported spending over $1 million for the protection of African lions.

As we continue to inspire people and motivate them to care for the natural world, we present to you the Phoenix Zoo’s version of “The Lion King!”