The lion-based roleplays definitely died out, especially with the 2016 update. As there's not a variety of bigger maps, I believe a lot of roleplays ceased to exist over time. And if they were created, they'd last two weeks, maybe a month max. Fluorite Plains was a significant map to roleplayers, as it was large, and one of a kind. There was always a spot for people to rp in. And it was always a blast. But now, seeing as the maps are smaller and there's not really any plains-type maps, people don't feel particularly motivated rping in-game anymore. And I'm not blaming anyone for this. Changes like that are hard to get used to, and roleplaying might not be the same for a lot of people.
The new thing is rping on Discord. Plus, activity has reached an all-time low, both in-game and on the forums. I can't say it's a surprise, as FH took a rough turn, but that doesn't mean it'll stay that way. DeviantArt also has a few rps that could interest you if you're into that thing.
We can't forget that a lot of the people who used to play FH are getting older, and with that comes life outside of the internet and responsibilities. We're not as young as we used to be, and can't dedicate our time to getting online 24/7. Don't get me wrong, there's still young users in the community, but I'd say us adults are the majority, as a lot of us have been around for a long time. I could be wrong, but that's just what I've noticed.
Things might change, we can only hope they will, but the future may go either direction.
I hope you find a decent roleplay, I'm sure there'll be something out there for you. Agreeing with bailmint, I too would love to see the return of lion/feline roleplays.