Oct 28, 2014 02:59 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The Obama Administration proposed Monday to have the African lion placed under protection of the Endangered Species Act.

According to the Washington Post, the African lion would be the world's last big cat to be declared endangered, but it would protect the king of the jungle from hunters. International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that the African lion has decreased in population by 30 percent over the last 20 years.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) made its proposal Monday following several groups petitioning since 2012 for the same thing. If declared endangered, the African lion would join fellow big cats like the tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma.

"Demographers believe the human population in sub-Saharan Africa will double by 2050," FWS Director Daniel M. Ashe, told the Post. "Unless things improve, lions will face extinction. It's up to us and not just the people of Africa to ensure that lions will continue to roam."

The FWS said in a press release Monday announcing the proposal that "70 percent of the current African lion population exists in only 10 major strongholds." The agency said the three biggest threats facing the iconic big cats are human interference, habitat loss and a decreased prey base.

"The African lion - a symbol of majesty, courage and strength - faces serious threats to its long-term survival. Listing it as a threatened species will bring the full protections of U.S. law to lion conservation, allowing us to strengthen enforcement and monitoring of imports and international trade," Ashe said in the release. "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.

"By providing incentives through the permitting process to countries and individuals who are actively contributing to lion conservation, the Service will be able to leverage a greater level of conservation than may otherwise be available."

Jane Goodall called the proposal "excellent news."

"I hope that the proposed listing will be approved," she told the Post. "How terrible to lose the 'king of beasts' from the African scene."

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