When you think of African animals, one iconic creature is likely to come to mind: the lion.

This proud and ferocious creature is, just like the African elephant, the national animal of several countries across the continent, and quite rightly so.

However the population of African lions is classed as ‘vulnerable’, with numbers declining as a result of numerous factors including habitat loss and poaching.

And sadly, thanks to human activities and predation, for six years no lionesses were spotted across the North Eastern Central African Republic (NCAR), spelling disaster for the country’s lion populations.

In good news, however, in August 2025 a camera trap provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has spotted an adult female lion parading through Bamingui-Bangoran National Park in NCAR for the first time since 2019.

And what’s more, the footage suggests that the lioness was lactating, suggesting that she is the proud mother of lion cubs.

In an area in which only male lions have been spotted, and hope of maintaining the local lion population was dwindling, this lioness and her cubs have sparked hope for lions in the NCAR, as the WCS’s Armand Luh Mfone explained in a statement:

“This is a truly exciting and hopeful sign for lions in the region. For years we have recorded only male lions, raising concerns about whether breeding females even remained in these parks. The discovery of this lioness, especially one that appears to be nursing cubs, demonstrates that with strong protection efforts, this landscape still has the potential to support a thriving lion population.”

For the lioness and her cubs to thrive though, the WCS’s important work in the region must continue.

Thanks to anti-poaching patrols and new herding routes, however, it is hoped that conservation works in NCAR will continue to succeed, with populations of vulnerable and threatened species permitted once again to thrive in the area.

This is important work if these iconic species are to survive, as the WCS’s Luke Hunter continued:

“Lions have suffered greatly due to decades of persecution, with the population in NCAR now estimated at only a few dozen individuals at best. Yet, the habitat remains largely intact, with low human densities, offering an extraordinary chance for recovery. If effectively protected, the two national parks alone could support 500 lions — a crucial boost to the roughly 750 Central African lions surviving across their entire range.”

Let’s hope that thanks to the WCS and locals’ hard work, these beautiful creatures will be able to live their lives in peace.

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