The illegal killing of Cecil - a famous and magnificent black-maned Zimbabwean lion - by an American big-game hunter in 2015 sparked international outrage. More significantly, it drew the world's attention to the devastating plight of Africa's lions. A century ago, there were more than 200,000 wild lions living in Africa. Today, with that population reduced by more than 90 per cent, many experts believe that without effective conservation plans, Africa's remaining wild lions could be completely wiped out by the mid-half of this century. When the Last Lion Roars explores the historic rise and fall of the lion as a global species, and examines the reasons behind its catastrophic decline. Interwoven with vivid personal encounters of Africa's last lions, Sara Evans questions what is being done to reverse (or at least stem) this population collapse, and she considers the importance of human responsibility in this decline and, more crucially, in their conservation. From the Lion Guardians in Kenya to the Living Walls of Tanzania, and the Hwange Lion Research Project in Zimbabwe, Sara meets both lions and their champions, people who are fighting to bring this iconic species back from the brink of extinction.

Author Biography

Sara Evans is an award-winning writer, specialising in travel and wildlife. Her work has featured in numerous publications around the globe, including the Sunday Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph Magazine, The Independent on Sunday, The Australian, The Boston Globe, BBC Wildlife Magazine and Africa Geographic. A former speaker at Bradt travel-writing seminars, she is also the author of The Travel Industry Uncovered and The Real Life Guide to Travel and Tourism. After spending much of her time travelling and looking for some of the world's most amazing animals, Sara now lives in the Fens with her family.