INTRODUCING THE TUSK LION TRAIL

A global celebration of African lions and the people that live alongside them, through exceptional art.

https://www.tuskliontrail.com/

• The population of African lions is estimated to have declined by as much as 50% over the last 25 There are now fewer wild lions left in the world than rhinos.
• Tusk are pleased to announce the launch of the Tusk Lion Trail, a high-profile international art installation of over x45 life sized lion sculptures in support of African conservation which will land on the streets of iconic locations worldwide from the 10th August
• The initiative is being supported by internationally acclaimed artists and designers including Ian Davenport, Gavin Turk and David Mach, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, wildlife photographer David Yarrow, All Blacks rugby legend Richie McCaw, American fashion designer Donna Karan, and actors Deborra-Lee Furness and Noel

13 JULY 2021: Tusk is excited to announce the launch of the Tusk Lion Trail, a high-profile international art installation in support of African conservation. Following the huge success and popularity of the Tusk Rhino Trail in 2018, the British charity will launch over x45 life sized lion sculpture trail onto the streets in iconic locations worldwide, on the 10th August 2021 (World Lion Day).

Following the huge success of the 2018 Tusk Rhino Trail, Tusk has once again teamed up with Curator Chris Westbrook who has brought together a spectacular array of talented artists from the world of Art, Design, Film, Theatre and Comedy, to release a phenomenal Pride Of Lion sculptures through the streets of London, and seven other locations across the world from Nairobi to The Hamptons.

Each sculpture will highlight the magnificence of lions, threats to their existence and the people and solutions working for their survival – raising awareness for conservation efforts across the world. Internationally recognised faces including Rolling Stones guitarist, Ronnie Wood, wildlife photographer, David Yarrow, artists Ian Davenport, Gavin Turk and David Mach, rugby legend Richie McCaw, American fashion designer Donna Karan, and actors Deborra–Lee Furness and Noel Fielding have all collaborated to craft their own unique pieces of art. Each lion sculpture has been generously supported by a Tusk partner or supporter.

The lion  sculptures  will  be  displayed  to  the  general  public  at  a  selection  of  iconic sites around the world including a number of UK cities (London, Edinburgh and Bristol), The Hamptons

– New York, Sydney, Wellington and Nairobi, from 10th August until the end of September 2021. London will be home to over 25 individually curated life sized lion sculptures, the art installation will encourage visitors to follow the ‘trails’  via  easy-to-use  physical  and  digital maps, allowing them to ‘collect lions’ as they go. This fun, interactive experience is the perfect activity for families.

Rolling Stones guitarist and Tusk Ambassador, Ronnie Wood says “As one of Tusk‘s longest standing supporters I couldn’t be more humbled and excited to be part of the Tusk Lion Trail 2021. Raising awareness and educating people about the impact of humans on our beautiful natural world and more specifically about threats posed to Africa’s endangered lion population is very close to my heart.

Channeling creativity via art is a big part of my life and painting two lion sculptures for the Tusk Lion Trail is something I have very much enjoyed doing over the last couple of months. I am very much looking forward to seeing the pride on the streets across the world in August.”

DHL is the global lead partner for the Tusk Lion Trail and co-sponsored by ISPS Handa. The Trail in The Hamptons and New York is being organised in partnership with the African Community and Conservation Foundation (ACCF)

Following the interactive sculpture exhibition, the unique works of art that have been displayed across the UK will then be auctioned in London by leading global auction house Bonhams, on November 9th. The US lion sculptures will be auctioned at an event held in conjunction with ACCF at The Wölffer Estate in The Hamptons, on August 27th. Three years ago, Tusk raised

£750,000 with its Rhino Trail and is hoping to surpass this total by taking the art installation global. Funds raised at the auction and through public donations will support the work of Tusk and our partners in protecting species and empowering communities across Africa.

The King of Beasts

Big cats, the ‘King of Beasts’, lions have been central to human culture since our very evolution. Once roaming most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe, the population of lions is estimated to have declined by as much as 50% over the past 25 years. The most recent estimates put the total population of lions at approximately 22,5001, occupying less than 8% of their historic range. There are now fewer wild lions left than rhinos.

The future of the African lion lies in the ability of lions and humans to coexist. At the top of the food chain, lions only face threats that stem from human actions: habitat loss and fragmentation, prey depletion and human-lion conflict. More recently they have also been poached for their body parts (especially claws, teeth and bones) for use in alternative medicine, predominantly in the Far East.

As well as protecting some of the lions’ greatest strongholds and mitigating human-lion conflict, Tusk invests in initiatives working with local communities to catalyse innovation, utilise technology, change attitudes, and provide economic stability and empowerment.

More information about the event can be found here: https://www.tuskliontrail.com/

ABOUT TUSK

Tusk’s mission is to amplify the impact of progressive conservation initiatives across Africa. The charity has earned a reputation for providing a highly efficient solution for funding wildlife conservation programmes. Tusk partners with the most effective local organisations, investing in their in-depth knowledge and expertise. By supporting and nurturing their conservation programmes, it helps accelerate growth from an innovative idea to a scalable solution.

For more than 30 years, Tusk has helped pioneer an impressive range of successful conservation initiatives across more than 20 countries, increasing vital protection for over 70 million hectares of land and more than 40 different threatened species. But the threat to Africa’s unique natural heritage remains real and more urgent than ever.

The charity, which has Prince William as its Royal Patron, has raised and invested over £90m since its foundation in 1990.