Lion facts

Lion facts

Living in the  grasslands, scrub, and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, the lion is the second largest cat in the  world. it is dwarfed slightly by the tiger, which is closely related and has a very similar body type.

Unlike other cats, lions are very social animals. They live in groups, called prides, of around 30lions. A pride consists of up to three males, a dozen related females, and their young. The size of the pride is determined by the availability of food and water. If resources are scarce, the pride becomes smaller.

Pride members keep track of one another by roaring. Both males and females have a very powerful roar that can be heard up to 8 km (5 mi.) away.

Males and females take on very different roles in the pride. Male lions spend their time guarding their territory and their cubs. They maintain the boundaries of their rerritory, Which can be as large as 260 sq km (100 sq.mi.) by roaring, marking it with urine, and chasing off  intruders. Their thick means, a unique train to male lions, protect their necks when they fight with challengers.

Female lions are primary humters of the group. They are smaller and more agile than males.But since their prey is still generally faster than them, they use teamwork to bring an animal down. Weaker lionesses herding the prey toward the center. Then the stronger females knock the animal down and make the kill.

Lions usually hunt at night. Their prey includes antelopes, buffaloes, zebras, young elephants, rhinos, hippos, wild hogs, crocodiles and giraffes. But they also sometime kill from other carnlvores, like hyenas, wild dogs, cheetahs, and leopard, or scavenging spoiled meat.
After a successful hunt, all the lions in the pride share the meal taking  first claim, followed by the lionesses, and finally, the cubs,

Lions have a fast-working digestive system, which allows them to gorge theselves and then go for water everyday. But they can go 4-5 days without drinking by obtaining moisture from the stomach contents of their prey.

Spending  16-20  hours of the day sleeping or resting, lions are the laziest of the big cats. They can be found lying on their backs with their feet up or taking a snooze up in a tree. While lazing around, they are very affectionate toward one another, rubbing heads, grooming, and purring.

Lionesses give birth to 2-3 cubs at a time. Usually a couple females give birth around the same time. The cubs are then raised together, sometimes nursing communally.


Vulnerable to predators like hyenas, leopards, and black-backed jackals, cubs have a 60 - 70 % mortality rate. They are sometime  trampled by large animals male lions takes over a pride, they kill all the cubs so they can sire their own with the lionesses.

Female cubs stay with the group as they age. At around two years old, they become capable hunters. But young males are forced out of the pride at that age. They form bachelor groups and follow migrating herds until they are strong enough to challenge male lions of other prides. In general, a group of males stays in power in the pride for a around there years before another bachelor group takes it over.

Conservation Status
African lions are considered vulnerable of extinction by the IUCN Red List. They are threatened by loss and fragmention of habitat. They are also killed by humans in bravery rituals, as hunting trophies, for medicinal powers, or by ranchers protecting their livestock. Furthermore they are susceptible to tick- borne diseases like canine distemper and babesia. dogs as well as hyenas. Babesia occurs during droughts, when  mainourished prey is vulnerable to disease. The ticks spread to the lions after they kill the sick animal. The combination of distemper and babesia causes mass fatalities in lion populations.

What you Can Do to help
you can help save lions by writing a Letter to Lions that will be shered with African leaders. Share why lions are important to you and include a drawing if you like. you can also  donate to charties like  National Geographic's Big Cat intaitive, panthera's project Leonardo, or the African Wildlife Foundation.