The West African lion (Panthera leo senegalensis), also known as the Senegal lion, is a lion subspecies native to western Africa. Results of genetic research indicate that the Western and Central African lions form a different clade of lions and are perhaps more related to Asian lions than to lions from southern or eastern Africa. The genetic distinctiveness is particular of interest, since West African lion populations are small and fragmented, comprising at most 1,800 individuals in all of West and Central Africa. The population is therefore considered Regionally Endangered.