Man-eaters

While lions do not usually hunt people, some (usually males) seem to seek out human prey. Well-publicized cases include the Tsavo maneaters, where 28 railway workers building the Kenya-Uganda Railway were taken by lions over nine months during the construction of a bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya in 1898; and the 1991 Mfuwe man-eater, which killed six people in the Laungwa River Valley inZambia.[75] In both, the hunters who killed the lions wrote books detailing the animals' predatory behavior. The Mfuwe and Tsavo incidents bear similarities: The lions in both incidents were larger than normal, lacked manes, and seemed to suffer from tooth decay.

A man-eating lion was killed by game scouts in Southern Tanzania in April 2004. It is believed to have killed and eaten at least 35 people in a series of incidents covering several villages in the Rufiji Delta coastal region.[76] This was attributed by some to the fact that the lion had a large abscess underneath a molar, which was cracked in several places, and probably resulted in a lot of pain, particularly when chewing.[77] This lion also lacked a mane.

In captivity

Widely seen in captivity, lions are part of a group of exotic animals that are the core of zoo exhibits since the late eighteenth century. Members of this group are invariably large vertebrates and include elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, large primates, and other big cats; zoos sought to gather as many of these species as possible.[83] There are over 1,000 African and 100 Asiatic lions in zoos and wildlife parks around the world. They are considered an ambassador species and are kept for tourism, education, and conservation purposes.

In the later decades of the twentieth century, larger, more natural enclosures and the use of wire mesh or laminated glass instead of lowered dens allowed visitors to come closer than ever to the animals, with some attractions even placing the den on ground higher than visitors, such as the Cat Forest/Lion Overlook of Oklahoma City Zoological Park.[20] Lions are now housed in much larger naturalistic areas; modern recommended guidelines more closely approximate conditions in the wild with closer attention to the lions' needs, highlighting the need for dens in separate areas, elevated positions in both sun and shade where lions can sit, and adequate ground cover and drainage as well as sufficient space to roam.[84]

There have also been instances where a lion was kept by a private individual, such as the lioness Elsa, who was raised by George Adamson and his wife Joy Adamson and came to develop a strong bonds with them, particularly the latter. The lioness later achieved fame, her life being documented in a series of books and films.

Baiting and taming

Lion-baiting is a blood sport involving the baiting of lions in combat with other animals, usually dogs. Records of it exist in ancient times up to the nineteenth century;[90] It was banned in Vienna in 1800 and in England in 1825.

Lion taming refers to the practice of taming lions for entertainment, either as part of an established circus or as an individual act. The term also often is used for the taming and display of other big cats, such as tigers,leopards, and cougars. 

Cultural depictions

The Lion Gate of Mycenae(detail)—two lionesses flank the central column that represents a goddess—c. 1300 B.C.E.renovation of an existing structure that was demolished to build the new

The lion is a popular symbol and mascot of high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States. This statue is on the campus of the University of North