African lions once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe. But the species has disappeared from 94 percent of its historic range and can only be found today in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. These lions mainly stick to the grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands where they can more easily hunt their prey, but they can live in most habitats aside from tropical rainforests and deserts. Asiatic lions Panthera leo persica are a subspecies of African lion, but only one very small population survives in India's Gir Forest.
Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides—though there is one population of solitary lions. Prides are family units that may comprise anywhere from two to 40 lions—including up to to three or four males, a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride's lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age. Young males eventually leave and establish their own prides by taking over a group headed by another male. Males defend the pride's territory, marking the area with urine, roaring menacingly to warn intruders, and chasing off animals that encroach on their turf.
Female lions are the pride's primary hunters and leaders. They often work together to prey upon antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, and other large animals of the open grasslands. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so teamwork pays off.
Female lions also raise their cubs communally. After the hunt, the group effort often degenerates to squabbling over the sharing of the kill, with cubs at the bottom of the pecking order.
Young lions do not help to hunt until they are about a year old. Lions will hunt alone if the opportunity presents itself, and they also steal kills from hyenas or wild dogs. Today, there are only half as many African lions than there were 25 years ago. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN estimates that fewer than 25, lions remain in Africa, which is why the organization classifies them as vulnerable to extinction. When their natural prey is scarce, lions can cause grave losses to livestock, which can destroy the income of local people.
In recent years, the demand for lion bone as a substitute for tiger bone in traditional Asian medicine has risen. Fundraising Block. Adopt Please select an elephant a lion a panda a turtle an african rhino an orangutan a dolphin an amur leopard a gorilla a snow leopard a polar bear a penguin a jaguar.
Choose monthly donation Prefer a one-off donation? Choose one-off donation Prefer a monthly donation? Top 10 facts about lions.
Adopt a lion. More animal facts. Nearly all wild lions live in Africa, but one small population exists elsewhere… Nearly all wild lions live in Africa, below the Sahara Desert, but one small population exists around Gir Forest National Park in western India.
They can weigh 30 stone On average, males weigh kg almost 30 stone and females weigh kg almost 20 stone. They meow, hiss and snarl, like domestic cats, but louder. Male lions are much bigger than females and they have large manes, or hair, which covers their head and neck and stretches underneath to their belly.
Lion cubs have light spots on their fur when they are born. There are five types of big cat — tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard and snow leopard. The main two types of lion are the African and the Asian but there are thought to be eight in total. Lions are the laziest of all the big cats, and can sleep for hours each day. Young lions have light spotting on their coats that disappears as they grow.
Lions stand between 3. Males grow to lengths of 10 feet 3 meters and have a 2 to 3 foot 60 to 91 centimeter tail. They weigh from to pounds to kilograms. Slightly smaller, females grow to lengths of 9 feet 2. Lions inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open plains to thick brush and dry thorn forest.
Except for a small population of the Indian lion subspecies that remains in the Gir Forest of northwest India, lions now live only in Africa, from the Sahara's southern fringe to northern South Africa.
They are absent from equatorial areas dominated by moist tropical forest. Lions primarily eat large animals that weigh from to 1, pounds 45 to kilograms , such as zebra and wildebeest.
In times of shortage, they also catch and eat a variety of smaller animals, from rodents to reptiles. Lions also steal kills from hyenas, leopards and other predators. At times, they may lose their own catches to hyena groups. Lions may also feed on domestic livestock, especially in areas near villages.
The Smithsonian's National Zoo's lions eat ground beef, which is commercially produced to meet the nutritional needs of carnivores. Twice a week, they receive knucklebones or beef femurs, and once a week they receive rabbits, which exercise the cats' teeth and jaws.
Lions are the world's most social felines. They live in groups of related females, called prides, which may comprise several to as many as 40 individuals, including adults, sub-adults between the ages of 2 and 4 and cubs, plus one or more resident males. Abundance of prey availability plays a significant role in the size of a lion pride. Pride mates associate in sub-groups within the pride.
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