Why Are There Almost No Lions Outside of Africa Today? #map #maps #geography #funfacts #lion #lions #animals Lions once roamed across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. From giant cave lions in Eurasia to American lions in prehistoric North America, they dominated for thousands of years. But climate change, human expansion, and eventually firearms drove most populations to extinction. Today, African lions live on just 7–10% of their former range, and only about 650 Asiatic lions remain in India’s Gir Forest. Here's how the kings of the world lost their crown.