Protect the Pride

This weekend saw the release of Disney's "Live Action" (by which I mean all-CGI) version of The Lion King.  The original The Lion King came out in theaters 25 years ago, in 1994.  I remember seeing it with my family, but only begrudgingly.  Even at that age spotted hyenas were one of my favorite animals, and I didn't like how they were portrayed in the movie.  It seemed like lions always had everything going their way.

Well, maybe not so much, it seems.



Since that 1994 debut, the world has lost one-half of its lions.  Africa's biggest wild cats only occupy 8% of their once-vast range.  Lions have played such an enormous role in the culture, history, and mythology of our species.  It's hard to imagine a world without them, but that might be what we are looking at if this decline continues.

Disney has profited handsomely from lions over the last few decades.  Now, the Mouse is returning the favor with their "Protect the Pride" campaign.  Over $1.5 million dollars has already been contributed to the Lion Recovery Fund, with the goal of doubling that.  Proceeds from the Animal Kingdom park and the sale of lion plush are going to lion conservation.   Disney is also partnering with the AZA to raise more funds for lion conservation - zoos are hosting special screenings of the movie, with proceeds going to support lion conservation in Africa

Now, for a film that's expected to rack in as many hundreds of millions of dollars as this one is, this may seem like chump-change from Disney.  It is a start, however, and if more companies that made money off of the likenesses of animal characters contributed in such a manner, wildlife conservation would be in a much better funded-place.

Learn more about Disney/AZA's partnership by following #protectthepride on social media.  Enjoy the movie -even if it's still unfair to hyenas.