(Panthera leo)
class Mammalia
phylum Chordata
subphylum Vertebrata
order Carnivora
family Felidae

Shoulder height - 1.2 m (male) 1.1 m (female)
Adult weight -190 kg (male) 125 kg(female)
Age at sexual maturity - 5 years (male) 4 years (female)
Diet -almost any creature from beetles to buffalo
Predators- None
Hearing - Excellent
Sight - Excellent
Smell - Good
Sounds - A loud roar
Mating season - All year round
Gestation period -14 - 15 weeks
No of young - 2 - 4

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The lion stands out from the other ‘big cats’, not only in its distinctive appearance but also in being the only felid that lives in organised social groups.

In appearance the lion is a powerfully built, muscular cat. The fur is short and generally uniform in colour, ranging from grey/buff to reddish brown in coloration with the exception of the undersides which are often white, especially in females. The back of the ears and tip of the tail are dark brown or black. However the most distinctive feature of the male lion is its mane, a ruff of thick, long fur. The colour of the mane varies from a light brown to almost black and covers the sides of the face, neck and in some animals extends to the abdomen. The adolescent male begins to grow its mane at about 18 months and it continues to grow until the cat reaches about five years of age - throughout this period it is common for the mane to darken. A fully developed male lion can grow up to 10 feet in body length and is surpassed in size only by the larger species of tiger.

The lion is unusual amongst the cat species in that if lives in an organised social groups called a prides. The pride can consist of as many as thirty to forty lions the majority of which are females and their offspring along with a small number of resident males. It is common for the females within the pride to be closely related and this family bonding is often extended through communal suckling and caring of the young within the group. The territory of the pride is fixed and varies in size depending on the availability and distribution of prey. In larger territories, which can be as much as 200 square miles, prides are often split into smaller social groupings.

Hunting is also a shared process - the individual if relatively inefficient at hunting, and cannot sustain high-speed pursuit for long periods of time. Lionesses hunt by ambush, with the majority of the hunting group chasing the prey toward individuals lying in wait who are then able to give chase over short distances before leaping on the selected animal for the kill. The lions prey consists mainly of medium to large herd animals such as antelope, gazelle and wildebeest. Once the prey is taken it is common for the males of the pride to eat first even though they take no part in the hunting process. The females are next to feed followed by the cubs - it is common, when prey is scarce, that the young will often starve as a result of being last in the pecking order for food. Incoming males provide another threat to the young cubs of the pride.

When a male lion reaches maturity it leaves its natural pride and goes in search of another pride for which it must fight for the right to join. Older or injured males are ousted by the young incoming male, who then takes up residence in the pride, often killing the cubs of the beaten male, thus ensuring that its own, future offspring, will have greater chance of survival.

The lion is to be found in parts of eastern and southern Africa and is commonly protected in reserves, although hunting is still common.

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Read about.......

Lion and Hyaena Populations - Zambezi Valley
Compiled by Steve Pope - Chipembere Safaris
P O Box 9
Kariba
Tel 061 2946
Cell: 011 610 010
e-mail chipsaf@zol.co.zw

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