Lions are known as “the king of beasts” because they are a formidable predator. They are the largest of the large cats,
second only to the tiger, and they have powerful jaws. They stand at 1 - 1.2 meters tall at the shoulders and males can
weigh from 180 - 230 kg while females can weigh from 130 - 180 kg. Males typically have a mane of hair circling the head
and females don’t have this feature. The mane makes the male lion look more intimidating to other males and more pleasurable
to females. It can also be used for protecting their neck during fights. The lion can reach high speeds (and the female is
faster than the male) of up to 80 kilometers per hour, though it can only run this fast in short bursts. The coat of the
lion yellow-gold, though cubs are born with spots (and sometimes stripes) on them. Another characteristic feature of the
lion is their roar, which can be heard over 8 km away.
Habitat and Diet
Lions live in a variety of climates from open plains to grasslands. They tend to prefer places with dense brush because their herbivore prey will be more abundant in these areas. The brush also provides for cover while hunting for prey. Lions usually hunt at night during dusk and dawn. These carnivores eat large animals like antelope, zebras, bison. They sometimes go after giraffes and elephants, but only when they’re sick or young. Sometimes lions take food from other predator animals like hyenas, leopards, and the African wild dog. When food is less abundant, lions will hunt smaller animals like rodents and reptiles. Home ranges will also be large when food is scarce.
Prides
A pride is a group of lions, and they are the only cat that lives in groups. A pride can have a few to 40 lions consisting of a few dominant males, many lionesses, and their cubs. The lionesses and cubs are often related with the dominant males coming from different prides. The male lions stay for a few months or a few years, it depends on if they lose a fight for the dominant male position to another male lion. The most common activity a pride will do is sleep. Lions spend up to 21 hours of their day sleeping, napping, and resting, with only a few hours dedicated to hunting. Hunting is done by female lions, and they are faster and more agile than the males. They hunt in groups to avoid expending too much energy or becoming injured. Oftentimes one lioness will chase the prey toward the other lionesses. They will enclose around the prey and snap its neck with their jaws. Lions are good hunters, but they only catch prey around 30% of the time. The male lions usually don’t hunt, although they sometimes accompany the lionesses. The males defend the pride from other animals. They guard the cubs and they keep watch over the entire pride. Males and females will mark the territory by rubbing against brush or peeing. Roaring is also an indicator of a pride’s location to other lions. Roaring is just one way of communicating for lions. They also snarl, growl, meow, and puff, which is a sign of friendship.
Life Cycle
Lionesses will be receptive to mating for a few days out of their reproductive cycle. When they are receptive, they will copulate a lot with one male lion. The gestation period is almost four months and the cubs are born helpless and blind. The female lions will be the main ones raising the cubs, and they do so communally. The spots the cubs are born with will fade as they age. The babies can follow their mothers around after three months, and they are weaned at about six months. Male lions will be able to roar when they turn one, and that’s around when they’ll help their mothers hunt. When the cubs turn two, the males will be pushed out of the pride by their mothers to find their own pride. Sometimes the females are pushed out too, but most of them stay with the same pride their whole lives. The sub-adult male lions will become nomads and often form groups with their brothers and cousins who were also pushed out. They will take care of themselves until they are big enough to challenge a dominant male lion of another pride. If they succeed, they may kill the young cubs so they can father all the pride’s cubs.
Conservation Concerns
While there is a small population of about 500 Indian lions in the Gir National Park, most lions are located in sub-Saharan Africa. There are under 25,000 lions left in Africa, which classifies them as an endangered species. Trophy hunting, poaching, and their relationship with humans is threatening their population. Hunting lions is banned in most African countries, but trophy hunting is often still allowed. If food is scarce, lions will eat a local village’s livestock, which can be costly to the civilians. Sometimes the civilians will kill the lions on sight or poison them to prevent attacks on their animals.
