Physical Characteristics

The lion, referred commonly as the 'king of the Jungle', is a magnificent animal that appears as a symbol of power, courage and nobility on family crests, coats of arms and national flags in many countries. History tells us that Lions at one time were found in Greece through the Middle East to northern India. Today only a very small population remains in India. In the past lions lived in most parts of Africa, but are now confined to the sub-Saharan region.

Mature male lions are unique among the cat species for the thick mane of brown or black hair encircling the head and neck. Both male and female lions roar, a sound which can be heard as far as 8 km away.

Habitation
Lions are found in savannas, grasslands, dense bush and woodlands in sub Saharan Africa.

Behaviour and Social Habits of lions

The lion exhibits an exception to the usual solitary life of most cat species. It has a well developed social system based on teamwork, division of labor and an extended but closed family unit. On average a pride consists of almost 15 individuals: 5 to 10 females, their young, and 2 or 3 territorial males. These are usually brothers or pride mates who have formed a coalition to protect their females. Because a nursing lioness will come into heat a few weeks after the loss of cubs, males with newly won prides will often kill existing cubs, enabling them to sire their own. When resting, lions seem to enjoy good fellowship with lots of touching, head rubbing, licking and purring.

Litters consist of two or three cubs that weigh about 3 pounds each. Some mothers carefully nurture the young; others may neglect or abandon them, especially when food is scarce. Usually two or more females in a pride give birth about the same time, and the cubs are raised together. A lioness will permit cubs other than her own to suckle, sometimes enabling a neglected infant to survive. Capable hunters by 2 years of age, lions become fully grown between 5 and 6 years and normally live about 13 years.

Diet
Group hunting enables lions to take on prey as large as buffaloes, rhinos, hippos and giraffes. However, scavenged food provides more than 50% of their diets—lions will often take over kills made by other carnivores. Females do 85-90% of the hunting, usually by setting up an ambush into which they drive the prey. The kill is not shared equally within a pride, and at times of prey scarcity, high juvenile mortality rates occur, as hungry females may not even share with their offspring.

Predators and Threats
Lions have long been killed in rituals of bravery, as hunting trophies, and for their medicinal and magical powers. Habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the lions greatest threat. With a growing human population surrounding parks, there are an increasing number of encounters with humans.

Thought You Should Know

• Most lions drink water daily if available, but can go four to five days without water. Lions in arid areas seem to obtain needed moisture from the stomach contents of their prey.

• When males take over a pride, they usually kill the cubs. The females come into estrus and the new males sire other cubs.

Other Facts
Size: Male lions weigh up to between 180 to 225 kg. Females are about 40 to 50 kg lighter than their male counterparts.
Color: African Lions are mostly tawny, but their color varies from almost silvery yellow to ochre-tinted grey to dark ochre brown with paler undersides (female belly yellowish to almost white); yellow to black mane. Faint, leopard like spots on young sometimes retained into adulthood. Extreme colour variations sometimes do occur.
The African male Lions mane usually starts growing at about 6 months of age, and usually becomes darker with age or pigmentation.
Sounds / Calls: African Lions have a variety of different roars, with lionesses using grunts to call their cubs. A full roar only comes with adulthood. A female lion’s roar is only slightly softer than a males roar, making it difficult to judge the sex by sound only. Vegetation density, wind direction and force, affect the distance that a roar can be heard.
Communication: Lions use roaring as well as facial expressions, body movements and sounds to communicate.
Senses: Although their sense of smell, hearing and sight are very good, lions have difficulty discerning animals standing in unusual positions.
Habitat: African Lions can be found in a variety of habitats ranging from open savannah plains to semi-arid areas but never in forests.