Where do lions live?
They can be found in savannas, plains, grasslands, dense bush, and woodlands.
Tags: Lion, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DRC, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kazungula, Kilimanjaro, Limpopo, Maasai Steppe, Samburu, Zambezi, East Africa, Southern Africa
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What is an African lion?
They are the second largest living cats after tigers. Malez are unique among the cat species for their thick mane of brown or black hair encircling their head and neck. The mane darkens with age, and the thicker and darker a mane is the healthier the lion. Both males and females roar—a sound heard as far as 8 kilometers away.
Both a hunter and a scavenger.
Antelope, zebra, and wildebeests are common prey for this big cat. However, scavenged food provides more than 50 percent of their diets—lions will often take over kills made by other carnivores—and cooperative hunting enables them to take down prey as large as buffaloes, rhinos, hippos, and giraffes. The lioness does 85 to 90 percent of the hunting, usually by setting up an ambush for its prey. The kill is not shared equally within a pride, and at times of prey scarcity, high juvenile mortality rates occur, as hungry females may not even share with their offspring.
They are the most social cats.
While most cat species are solitary, the lion is an exception. It has developed a social system based on teamwork, division of labor, and an extended family unit. The average pride consists of about 15 individuals, with five to 10 females, their young, and two or three territorial males. These are usually brothers or pride mates who have formed a coalition to protect their females.
They are affectionate.
When resting, which may be up to 20 hours a day, lions seem to enjoy good fellowship with lots of touching, head rubbing, licking, and purring.
Their parenting styles are wildly different.
Usually, two or more females in a pride give birth around the same time, and the cubs are raised together. Some mothers carefully nurture their young and will even permit other cubs other to suckle, sometimes enabling a neglected infant to survive. However, at times, a lioness may also neglect or abandon her cubs, especially if food is scarce.