The national animal of Cameroon is the lion. This is a natural choice for many African nations and in Cameroon the lion is a very important symbol of national pride, embodying strength, bravery, power and natural beauty. Lions are and have been important to Cameroon for, one can assume, as long as people have lived there.
The lion, as you might expect, is very important as a symbol and in a more literal, physical way, all across Africa.
Indeed, it is often said that the lion is one of the single most important animals in all of the human imagination, having permeated countless human cultures across their historic range and beyond.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Cameroon?
The national animal of Cameroon is the lion.
This is without doubt one of the most powerful symbols in the human imagination, at least in certain parts of the world.
They have played a part in human cultures for thousands of years in countless different ways, and though their historic range was once much greater, even where it is no longer found it continues to leave its mark.
The lion in Africa, though, is of course an even more vital symbol, where most of the extant population are found today.
They are a large cat native mostly to Africa though small populations are still found in India.
They are muscular and short with round heads and ears and a distinctive tuft at the end of their tails.
They are highly sexually dimorphic, with the males sporting thick, heavy manes which the females lack.
Females are, sometimes, known to grow these manes, though quite rarely.
They are a highly social species, living in large prides consisting of a few males and then mostly females and related cubs.
Groups of female lions tend to do the hunting, preying on large ungulates like antelope and zebra.
They are what is called a keystone predator, meaning that they have a very large effect on their natural ecosystem.
They can, though, sometimes scavenge when the opportunity presents itself, though generally they have to rely on hunting.
They have been extensively depicted in all sorts of human art for a very long time.
They feature on national flags as well as in films and literature.
Since the earliest points of human history they have been kept in menageries such as by the Romans and further east in Asia.
They were also very important in Ancient Egypt.
Why is the lion the national animal of Cameroon?
There are many reasons the lion is the national animal of Cameroon.
There are some aspects of the lion that are naturally quite obvious to anyone who is familiar with the lion.
They are powerful, strong, and bold animals, nothing in their natural environment threatens them, and this kind of courage and willpower has made them very important embodiments of these values in both the people of Cameroon and the country as a whole.
Again, they are, by far, one of the most culturally significant animals in human history.
On the other hand, though, lions are also creatures of grace and beauty.
They are dignified to our eyes and this has earned them, in part, the title of king of the animals.
So, while embodying raw strength and power, they are also vital symbols of beauty, grace, and the natural landscape of Cameroon and Africa in general.
Without them, the African wilderness would look immeasurably different, and so for this reason as well they are important national symbols in Cameroon.
Finally, there’s also the question of conservation.
This is an ongoing problem for virtually all lion populations as they are hunted by humans and their natural habitats are lost—but are they endangered?
Are lions endangered?
Lions are officially listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of species.
This means that they are one step above being officially “endangered” purely in terms of nomenclature.
In a more pragmatic sense, lions certainly are endangered.
It’s estimated that anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 individuals remain in the wild, and while this may seem high, their numbers were once enormously larger.
So, yes, lions are on the brink of being officially endangered, and this is another reason they have been made Cameroon’s national animal.
It is about drawing attention to the precarious position that the species may be in soon.
Are lions dangerous?
Lions are, in terms of what physically they can do to a human, extremely dangerous.
They would not hesitate to attack and kill a person if they felt it was necessary for whatever reason.
However, lions are very rarely known to actively hunt humans, and so you are not in danger of being killed by a lion if you are not seeking, actively, to bother them and encroach on their territory.
Lions generally prefer to avoid human contact wherever they can, and so humans usually are not in danger of attacks from lions, unlike other species like leopards which do frequently attack people.
One of the most iconic animals in the history of human existence, then, the lion is under grave threat from many directions.
Something will need to be done to prevent the loss of this species, but Cameroon as well as many other African nations are certainly taking a step in the right direction by raising awareness.
Of course, the lion means far more than that to the people of Cameroon and embodies countless aspects of national values.