African lions are in need of protection, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said Monday, as loss of habitat and prey are putting the species in danger of extinction.
"Following a review of the best available scientific information, the US Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed listing the African lion as threatened under the Endangered Species Act," the FWS said in a statement.
"The agency's analysis found that lions are in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future."
Such protection would allow US authorities to toughen enforcement and monitoring of imports and international trade of these animals, which are hunted for sport, and would help raise awareness of conservation efforts.
While these majestic creatures still roam around their native Africa, the majority of the population has dwindled to 10 major strongholds. They are traditionally seen as "kings of the jungle," but African lions are quickly losing their reign. Prides once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe, but National Geographic says that today they are found only in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Aside from loss of habitat, humans are encroaching on the lions' territory, creating increasing conflicts with people over prey. According to the agency, humans are overhunting lion prey, causing the predators to target livestock instead, which then leads to retaliatory killings by humans. African lions typically eat large animals that they find in their grassland territory, including antelopes, zebras and wildebeest.
The FWS decision comes after a 2011 petition from a coalition of organizations requesting the African lion be listed as endangered.
A 90-day comment period, ending in January 2015, will allow the public to weigh in on the proposed rule.
"It is up to all of us, not just the people of Africa, to ensure that healthy, wild populations continue to roam the savannah for generations to come," FWS Director Dan Ashe said in the statement.
The African lion is 4.5 to 6.5 feet (1.4 to 2 meters) long from its head to its rump, and its tail measures about 26 to 40 inches long. African lions typically weigh 265 to 420 pounds.