A new global conservation campaign to celebrate the release of the upcoming film The Lion King has been announced by Disney. The new “Protect the Pride” campaign will raise awareness of the crisis facing lions and other wildlife across Africa.

The Lion King “Protect the Pride” campaign focuses on protecting and revitalizing the lion population.

Disney is lending its support to the Wildlife Conservation Network’s (WCN) Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) and their vision to double the lion population across Africa by 2050 through efforts that engage communities to ensure a future for African wildlife and their habitats.

Africa’s lion population has been halved in the 25 years since the release of the original The Lion King. The population decrease is due to a variety of threats that include poaching and destruction of habitats. Only about 20,000 lions remain in the wild. Research shows their numbers can be strengthened by adequately protecting the habitats they share with people and other African wildlife, in addition to protecting the lions themselves.

Disney has already donated more than $1.5 million to the LRF and its partners, and plans to double that amount through additional grants, as well as participation from fans, for a total contribution of up to $3 million. The Lion King Protect the Pride donation 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.

The LRF supports a variety of partner organizations working in Africa and employs a three-pronged approach to lion recovery:

• Investing in conservation projects on the ground
• Developing campaigns that build support for the protection and revitalization of Africa’s lion population
• Expanding and strengthening collaborations, as no single entity will be able to solve the problem alone

Additional information about the LRF’s lion conservation efforts may be found at LionRecoveryFund.org.

How You Can Help

Starting June 10, special-edition Simba and Nala plush lions will be available at certain Disney stores, on shopDisney.com, and in select U.S. Disney Parks and Resorts locations. For each special edition lion sold, Disney will donate $5 to the LRF.

Discover additional ways to join Disney in celebrating WCN’s Lion Recovery fund at Disney.com/LionKingProtectThePride.

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