AFRICAN LION

The African Lion is a mammal. Its scientific name is panthera leo.

HABITAT Though lions used to live in most parts of Africa, they are now found only in the south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa. Historically, in addition to Africa, lions were found from Greece through the Middle East to northern India.

INFORMATION The lion is 4 feet high and 5 to 8 feet long. They weigh 330 to 500 pounds. The female lions are smaller than the males. Lions eat anything from wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe, buffalo and wild hogs to sometimes rhinos and hippos. They will also feed on smaller animals such as hares, birds and reptiles. Lions are also known to attack elephants when food is scarce.

BABIES Lions have a liter of 3-4 cubs. Hyenas, leopards and black-backed jackals hunt baby lion cubs. The cubs begin hunting at 11 months but remain with their mother for at least two years. The babies are blind when they are first born.

ENDANGERED Lions’ prey can get infected with ticks and the lions eat the prey and get a disease. Lions are also facing many human threats such as population growth and agricultural expansion resulting in loss of natural habitat, as well as hunting, poisoning and poaching by livestock ranchers. Conservation groups are working to create a lion proof enclosure to protect livestock so that the farmers don’t have the need to kill the lions. Lions are a tourist attraction, which brings in money to countries. Conservation groups are using the rising tourism to protect the lions.

INTERESTING FACTS The lion is known as “the king of the jungle”. Male lions have a thick brown or black mane that encircles their neck and protects them while fighting. The lion can run 50 miles per hour for a short distance. The lions’ roar can be heard up to 5 miles away. The lion is the second largest cat after the tiger.