One of the seafront lions.
COWES’S famous seafront lions look set to feature in a national campaign to save the King of the Beasts from extinction.
They are due to be covered in a black cloth some time next year as part of the Lion-Aid campaign, which is trying the highlight the fragile state of the iconic species whose numbers have fallen from around 200,000 in the 1960s to just 20,000 today.
The plight of the African lion, one of the world’s most instantly recognisable creatures, was outlined to members of Cowes Town Council at their meeting on Wednesday last week.
A letter from the charity was discussed by members where it was proposed the famous esplanade lions would be covered up with a black cloth to show the public what a world without lions would be like.
The charity hopes to enlist the help of volunteers who will wear black T-shirts bearing the words 'Where have all the lions gone?’
Members heard the campaign would culminate in the famous Trafalgar Square lions being covered by the charity.
They agreed the lions could be covered as the publicity would be good for the town.