AFRICAN LION

IN THE WILD

Like other cats, lions have excellent senses. Since they are primarily nocturnal (meaning most active at night) their night vision is six times greater than that of humans. Well-developed whiskers and other long stiff hairs above their eyes and on their underarms have nerve connections and are used for sensing. They also have a well-developed sense of smell which they use to communicate with other lions who mark their territory.

Two distinctive features set lions apart from all other wild cats; they are social felines (other cats are typically solitary in the wild) and they are the only cats to exhibit a distinction between males and females - males have a mane.

Another unique feature of lions is their tongues. They have short, horny backward pointing hooks on the upper surface which aids in grooming and for holding and lacerating food.

REPRODUCTION

Lions are able to have cubs at around 3–4 years of age. Gestation is between 103 and 119 days (typically 110). When lions are ready to give birth to their litter—usually about three or four cubs—they go off alone to a den isolated from the rest of the pride. Mother and cubs then return to the pride after approximately three months. Males guard the cubs while the females hunt, playing with them and teaching them life skills by wrestling. The cubs will participate in their first hunt when they are about 11 months old.

Depending on the pride, young males either leave or are driven out around age two. Young females usually remain with the pride unless the quantity of females becomes too large.

BEHAVIOR

Lions are social animals that live in prides of between four and 37 cats. The pride usually consists of a core of four to 12 related adult females, their offspring and one to six adult males. In the pride, females do most of the hunting, when they work together to form an ambush.

Lions spend more than 80 percent of their time conserving energy. Conserving energy is important for animals that are big and bulky and that live in areas where getting food is challenging. As a result, lions spend up to 20 hours a day resting or sleeping.

Lions have nine distinct vocalizations including roars, grunts and growls. The position of their hyoid apparatus, a bone at the base of the skull, means lions can only purr when they exhale. Pride members also rub cheeks when they meet.

Conservation Status

African lions are considered vulnerable of extinction by the IUCN Red List. They are threatened by loss and fragmentation 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. Distemper is spread to lions by neighboring village dogs as well as hyenas. Babesia occurs during droughts, when malnourished 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 shared with African leaders. Share why lions are important to you and include a drawing if you like. You can also donate to charities like National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative, Panthera’s Project Leonardo, or the African Wildlife Foundation.

Lion Distribution