August 10 World Lion Day: Guard Your Pride, Guard Your Payments

The Citizen Advocate Summary: Declaring April 11 as Safe ePay Day

Proposing April 11 as Safe ePay Day to mark UPI’s pilot launch on April 11, 2016, by NPCI with 21 banks, initiated by Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan in Mumbai. This initiative celebrates UPI’s seamless integration of banking and merchant payments.

August 10 – Appeal No 80

April 11 – Declare ‘Safe ePay Day’,

Yes, April 11 is vacant in the UN Observance Day calendar

UPI 10^th Birthday -April 11 2026 – 245 Days to go

August 10 World Lion Day: Roaring for Wildlife and Wallet Safety

World Lion Day, founded in 2013 by conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert, aims to raise awareness about the declining lion population. It highlights the urgent need to protect their natural habitats and ensure their survival in the wild. 🦁🌍

August 10 – World Lion Day 🦁💳 | Guarding Our Prides: From Savannas to Safe Payments

 

A Roar Heard Across the World

Every August 10, the global community unites for World Lion Day — a celebration of the majestic Panthera leo and a rallying cry to protect their dwindling populations. Revered as the “King of Beasts” for centuries, lions embody strength, courage, and guardianship. From African folklore to Indian temple carvings, the lion has always stood as a symbol of leadership and protection.

Globally, lion numbers in the wild have dropped by over 40% in the past two decades due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal hunting. Conservationists are fighting to ensure the roar of the lion continues to echo across the grasslands.

 

India’s Pride: The Asiatic Lion

For India, this day carries an added significance — the country is home to the Asiatic lion, found only in the Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat. Once spread across the Middle East and Asia, the Asiatic lion’s range has shrunk to a fraction of its historical territory.

When Gir National Park was established in 1965, there were just 174 lions. Thanks to Project Lion, community-led conservation, and the dedication of forest staff (including the legendary Lion Queens of India, an all-women wildlife rescue team), the population has risen to 674 lions as of 2020. Advanced measures like GPS tracking, infrared night vision, and habitat expansion projects are ensuring these lions have a secure future.

Gir’s success story is a rare example of a critically endangered species bouncing back — and it holds lessons that extend far beyond wildlife conservation.

 

The Pride’s Code: Protection Above All

A lion pride thrives because every member plays a role — hunting, guarding, nurturing. The pride is a secure network built on trust and vigilance.

This is the same principle that underpins the proposed World Safe ePay Day (April 11) — a global initiative to raise awareness about safe, secure, and accessible digital financial transactions. Just as a lioness shields her cubs from danger, secure payment systems must protect users from scams, data theft, and fraud.

 

Why India Needs a Roar for Digital Safety

While India celebrates the comeback of its lions, the digital ecosystem is facing a different challenge — a surge in fraud.

• In the first 10 months of FY 2025, Indians lost over ₹4,245 crore in 2.4 million digital fraud cases — a 67% jump from FY 2023.
• UPI transactions account for 55% of these fraud cases.
• In Gujarat — the land of the Asiatic lion — one cyber fraud occurs every two hours, with an average loss of ₹7,147, and only 19% of victims recovering their money.

These numbers make one thing clear: our financial “pride” needs stronger guardianship.

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Seven Ways Lions Inspire Safer Digital Payments

1.    Vigilance – Lions keep constant watch; we must stay alert to phishing scams and suspicious links.

2.   Strength in Numbers – A pride’s teamwork mirrors the cooperation between banks, payment gateways, regulators, and users.

3.   Swift Response – Lions act fast; secure payment alerts and fraud detection systems must respond instantly.

4.   Territorial Awareness – Lions know their boundaries; we should set transaction limits and monitor account activity.

5.   Adaptability – Lions adjust hunting strategies; payment systems adapt to evolving cyber threats.

6.   Guardianship – Lions protect cubs; safe ePay practices protect new and vulnerable users.

7.   Endurance – Lions endure challenges; secure frameworks must withstand persistent attacks.

 

From Savannah to Smartphone

It might seem strange to connect the golden savannas of Africa and the glowing screen of your UPI app — but the principle is the same: protection equals survival.

A lion’s roar, audible up to 8 km, declares its presence and deters threats. In digital payments, our “roar” comes through multi-factor authentication, fraud alerts, and public awareness campaigns like NPCI’s “Main Moorkh Nahi Hoon” initiative.

 

India’s Defensive Moves

Just as Project Lion used technology and coordination to protect the Asiatic lion, India is deploying new tools to secure its digital ecosystem:

• Digital Payment Intelligence Platform (proposed by RBI) for real-time fraud detection.
• DigiKavach by Google to flag suspicious financial activity in partnership with regulators.
• Blacklisting of over 300,000 SIMs linked to scams.
• Enhanced UPI features like visual verification and QR code safeguards.
• Bank-level innovations like Axis Bank’s Lock FD to prevent unauthorized access.

 

A Dual Call to Action 🦁💳

On World Lion Day:

• Support conservation by contributing to projects like Project Lion.
• Raise awareness about the importance of protecting the Asiatic lion and its habitat.

On the road to World Safe ePay Day:

• Stay alert when making online transactions.
• Educate friends and family about safe payment habits.
• Treat every transaction as a cub in your pride — worth protecting.

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Because in both the forests of Gir and the servers of India’s payment networks, the strength of the pride lies in how well it guards its own.

 

 

Here’s a snapshot of today’s World Lion Day celebrations—featuring activities across Gujarat, including major events at Barda’s Timbdi.

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Global & India-Specific Celebrations for World Lion Day (August 10)

1. Gujarat, India – Statewide Conservation Gatherings

• Main Event at Timbdi (Barda, Dwarka District): The state-level celebration will be held in Barda’s Timbdi, attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, and Environment Minister Mulubhai Bera (DeshGujarat).
• Widespread Outreach: Simultaneous awareness drives are organized in 11 lion-inhabited districts—Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar, and Botad (DeshGujarat).
• Public Engagement: Activities include eco-tourism initiatives, forest safaris in Barda, educational rallies, and art competitions among students (ThePrint, Swabhimani Odia - Odia).
• Book Releases & Awareness Campaigns: The Chief Minister addressed public gatherings in Sasan Gir and launched publications on lion conservation and telemetry-based monitoring (ThePrint).

2. London Zoo, UK – “Land of Lions” Celebrations

• Keeper Talks & Q&A Sessions: On August 10, London Zoo invites visitors to get close to their Asiatic lion family (Bhanu, Arya, and cubs), with keeper talks and enrichment demos throughout the day (londonzoo.org).
• Conservation Messaging: The event highlights ZSL’s work in partnership with India to support lion conservation efforts and celebrates the recovery of the Asiatic lion from near extinction (londonzoo.org).

3. Global Observance & Origins

• International Recognition: World Lion Day, established in 2013 by Rae Kokeš and David Youldon, is now celebrated globally on August 10 to raise awareness and rally support for lion conservation (Wikipedia).
• Common Themes: Events worldwide focus on messages like habitat preservation, anti-poaching efforts, and educational outreach to build global support (Wikipedia).

 

Summary Table

Location	Key Activities
Gujarat (India)	State-level events, eco-tourism, public awareness, book launches
London Zoo (UK)	Lion talks, keeper Q&A, conservation education
Global	Awareness campaigns by NGOs, educational materials, online outreach

 

 

• Appeal  for Safe ePay Day 🌟

 

## Call to Action 

I urge governments, financial institutions, businesses, and communities worldwide to join hands in declaring April 11 as **Safe ePay Day**.

Let’s celebrate UPI’s milestone by making **Safe ePay Day** a global movement for secure, innovative fintech.

Together, we can build a future where financial access is universal, and every e-payment is safe—starting with **Safe ePay Day** in 2026.

 

No Vada Pav, not even one bite,
Till SafeePay Day takes off in flight.
Quirky vow with a Mumbai flair—
Announce the date, and I’ll be there!

 

Disclaimer: - The only Joy is Safe ePayments. Nothing More – Nothing Less.