Overview

The lion is the second-largest cat species after the tiger, and the only big cat that lives in large, cooperative social groups called prides. A typical pride includes several related females, their cubs, and a small coalition of adult males who defend the group’s territory.

Once found across most of Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia and Europe, lions today occupy a fraction of their historic range. Most remaining wild populations live in protected reserves and national parks across eastern and southern Africa.

Physical Characteristics

Adult male lions are unmistakable for their mane, a thick ruff of fur around the neck and shoulders that darkens with age and signals maturity and fighting ability to rivals. Females lack a mane, giving them a leaner, more streamlined profile suited to their role as the pride’s primary hunters. Both sexes have a short, sandy-to-brown coat, a tufted tail tip, and powerful retractable claws. An adult lion’s roar can be heard from as far as 8 kilometres away and is used to declare territory and locate pride members after dark.

Habitat & Range

Lions favor open savanna, grassland and scrub where large herds of grazing animals are available, though they can also be found in semi-arid areas and dry woodland. Historically, their range stretched from southern Europe through the Middle East to India; today wild lions are confined almost entirely to sub-Saharan Africa, with a single remaining Asiatic population of a few hundred individuals protected in India’s Gir National Park.

Diet & Behavior

Lions are apex predators that hunt cooperatively, primarily at dawn, dusk or under cover of night. Females do the majority of hunting, working in coordinated groups to bring down large prey such as zebra, wildebeest and buffalo, while males typically defend the pride’s territory from rival coalitions and, in some cases, from hyena clans competing for the same kills. Lions spend up to 20 hours a day resting or sleeping, conserving energy between hunts.

Threats & Conservation

The IUCN currently classifies the lion as Vulnerable, with wild populations estimated to have declined by more than 40% over the past three generations. The leading threats are habitat loss and fragmentation as land is converted to agriculture, retaliatory killing after livestock predation, a decline in the wild prey base, and illegal hunting for body parts. Range-wide conservation strategies now focus on maintaining large connected protected areas and reducing conflict with neighboring communities.

Interesting Facts

• A lion’s roar can be heard up to 8 kilometres away.
• Lionesses perform the vast majority of a pride’s hunting.
• A group of lions is called a “pride,” typically 10–15 animals.
• Cubs are born blind and depend fully on the pride for the first few months.
• Male lions can grow manes that darken with age and testosterone levels.

Frequently Asked Questions