Lions will hunt alone if the opportunity presents itself, and they also steal kills from hyenas or wild dogs. Young lions do not help to hunt until they are about a year old. Female lions also raise their cubs communally.Īfter the hunt, the group effort often degenerates to squabbling over the sharing of the kill, with cubs at the bottom of the pecking order. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so teamwork pays off. They often work together to prey upon antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, and other large animals of the open grasslands. 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.įemale lions are the pride's primary hunters and leaders. Young males eventually leave and establish their own prides by taking over a group headed by another male. All of a pride's lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age. 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. Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides-though there is one population of solitary lions. 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.Īsiatic lions ( Panthera leo persica) are a subspecies of African lion, but only one very small population survives in India's Gir Forest. But the species has disappeared from 94 percent of its historic range and can only be found today in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. HabitatĪfrican lions once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe. Only male lions typically boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads. An adult lion’s coat is yellow-gold, and juveniles have some light spots that disappear with age.
These iconic animals have powerful bodies-in the cat family, they’re second in size only to tigers-and roars that can be heard from five miles away. Current Population Trend: Decreasing What is the African lion?Īfrican lions have been admired throughout history for as symbols of courage and strength.
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