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Lion
Most cat species live a fundamentally solitary existence, but the lion is an exception. It has developed a social system based on teamwork and a division of labor within the pride, and an extended but closed family unit centered around a group of related females. The average pride consists of about 15 individuals, including five to 10 females with their young and two or three territorial males that are usually brothers or pride mates. Lions are the largest predators in Africa. They are also the most sociable of the cat family and can live in prides of up to 20 and more. Males are territorial and will defend their pride and territory against intruders - some fights could end in death. There are usually between 1 and 4 adult males (a dominant male and other adults or often brothers of the same litter) per pride depending on the size of the territory and the size of their pride which consist of females and their cubs as well as young males.
Physical Characteristics
Generally a tawny yellow, lions, like other species, tend to be lighter in color in hot, arid areas and darker in areas of dense vegetation. Mature male lions are unique among the cat species for the thick mane of brown or black hair that encircles the head and neck. The tails of lions end in a horny spine covered with a tuft of hair.
Habitat
Lions are found in savannas, grasslands, dense bush and woodlands. They range from woodland and open savanna to desert and arid areas, wherever sufficient prey can be found. Lions used to occur throughout South Africa but due to their merciless persecution in South Africa (due to conflict with humans and their interests), they are now mainly restricted to protected areas. They only occur naturally in the Northern and Eastern parts of South Africa. In the north they occur naturally in mainly the Kruger National Park and surrounding Private Game reserves and farms, bordering Kruger National Park. They also occur naturally in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and in KwaZulu-Natal Parks like Hluhluwe - Imfolozi. Lions have been reintroduced to amongst others the Addo National Park, to some provincial parks and reserves as well as to private game reserves throughout South Africa.
Behavior
Diet
Cooperative hunting enables lions to take prey as large as wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, young elephants, rhinos, hippos and giraffes, any of which can provide several meals for the pride. Mice, lizards, tortoises, warthogs, antelopes and even crocodiles also form part of a lion's diet. Because they often take over kills made by hyenas, cheetahs and leopards, scavenged food provides more than 50 percent of their diets in areas like the Serengeti plains. Lions will also kill any predator if they get a chance and often kill the young of leopard, jackal, hyena, cheetah, honey badger, caracal, wild dog and civet amongst others, to naturally eliminate competition for food and territory. They will not always eat these animals, but sometimes might.
Lions are opportunistic hunters. They will eat anything from termites to an elephant if they can. Depending on their territory and the species of prey available in the area they usually hunt medium to large size animals like wildebeest, impala, zebra, waterbuck, kudu, buffalo and giraffe amongst others and even in some cases hippos, young rhinos and elephants. Giraffe have been known to inflict serious injuries to lions and often kill lions, while defending themselves by kicking at the lions, especially with their hind legs.
Lions are often found following large or smaller herds of buffalo while waiting for a chance to catch and kill one, although buffaloes are not that easy to catch due to the fact that they will not always run away but will group together (often forming a circle around the young) and try to stand their ground in an effort to defend their young and each other. Lions are also often injured or killed by buffaloes, especially by the bulls which can cause a lot of damage with their horns as well as by stomping on the lions with their hard hooves.
Depending on the opportunity lions will often eat carrion or carcasses. They will nearly always take over the kills of other predators like jackals, hyenas, cheetahs, African Wild dogs or leopards. Lions will also eat a variety of smaller prey that can vary from termites, frogs, lizards, tortoises, porcupines, small rodents to birds like Guinea fowl,
Caring for the young lions
Litters consist of two or three cubs that weigh about 3 pounds each. Some mothers carefully nurture the young; others may neglect or abandon them, especially when food is scarce. Usually two or more females in a pride give birth about the same time, and the cubs are raised together. A lioness will permit cubs other than her own to suckle, sometimes enabling a neglected infant to survive. Capable hunters by 2 years of age, lions become fully grown between 5 and 6 years and normally live about 13 years.
Predators and threats
Did you know?
Sources:
http://www.awf.org/campaigns/lion-poaching/
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_lion.html
http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/englion.html?zenden=2&subsoort_id=1&bestemming_id=1
http://www.wildlifesouthafrica.com/blog/mammals-of-south-africa/lion-fact-file
Most cat species live a fundamentally solitary existence, but the lion is an exception. It has developed a social system based on teamwork and a division of labor within the pride, and an extended but closed family unit centered around a group of related females. The average pride consists of about 15 individuals, including five to 10 females with their young and two or three territorial males that are usually brothers or pride mates. Lions are the largest predators in Africa. They are also the most sociable of the cat family and can live in prides of up to 20 and more. Males are territorial and will defend their pride and territory against intruders - some fights could end in death. There are usually between 1 and 4 adult males (a dominant male and other adults or often brothers of the same litter) per pride depending on the size of the territory and the size of their pride which consist of females and their cubs as well as young males.
Physical Characteristics
Generally a tawny yellow, lions, like other species, tend to be lighter in color in hot, arid areas and darker in areas of dense vegetation. Mature male lions are unique among the cat species for the thick mane of brown or black hair that encircles the head and neck. The tails of lions end in a horny spine covered with a tuft of hair.
Habitat
Lions are found in savannas, grasslands, dense bush and woodlands. They range from woodland and open savanna to desert and arid areas, wherever sufficient prey can be found. Lions used to occur throughout South Africa but due to their merciless persecution in South Africa (due to conflict with humans and their interests), they are now mainly restricted to protected areas. They only occur naturally in the Northern and Eastern parts of South Africa. In the north they occur naturally in mainly the Kruger National Park and surrounding Private Game reserves and farms, bordering Kruger National Park. They also occur naturally in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and in KwaZulu-Natal Parks like Hluhluwe - Imfolozi. Lions have been reintroduced to amongst others the Addo National Park, to some provincial parks and reserves as well as to private game reserves throughout South Africa.
Behavior
- Females do 85 to 90 percent of the pride's hunting, while the males patrol the territory and protect the pride, for which they take the "lion's share" of the females' prey.
- When resting, lions seem to enjoy good fellowship with lots of touching, head rubbing, licking and purring. But when it comes to food, each lion looks out for itself. Squabbling and fighting are common, with adult males usually eating first, followed by the females and then the cubs.
- Lions are the laziest of the big cats.
- They usually spend 16 to 20 hours a day sleeping and resting, devoting the remaining hours to hunting, courting or protecting their territory. They keep in contact with one another by roaring loud enough to be heard up to five miles away.
- The pride usually remains intact until the males are challenged and successfully driven away or killed by other males, who then take over. Not all lions live in prides.
- At maturity, young males leave the units of their birth and spend several years as nomads before they become strong enough to take over a pride of their own. Some never stop wandering and continue to follow migrating herds; but the nomadic life is much more difficult, with little time for resting or reproducing.
- Within the pride, the territorial males are the fathers of all the cubs.
- Lions may hunt at any hour, but they typically go after large prey at night. They hunt together to increase their success rate, since prey can be difficult to catch and can outrun a single lion.
- The lions fan out along a broad front or semicircle to creep up on prey.
- Once with within striking distance, they bound in among the startled animals, knock one down and kill it with a bite to the neck or throat. Hunts are successful about half the time.
- Females do most of the hunting although males also hunt at times. The pride usually hunts together.
- At any kill of a pride the dominant male will feed first following other males and then the females.
- The cubs will feed last when the others had their fill. Lions hunt by stealth.
- They stalk their prey or wait in ambush near water until the prey animal is close enough to pounce upon.
- Lions often are opportunistic hunters in the sense that they will kill when an opportunity arise.
Diet
Cooperative hunting enables lions to take prey as large as wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, young elephants, rhinos, hippos and giraffes, any of which can provide several meals for the pride. Mice, lizards, tortoises, warthogs, antelopes and even crocodiles also form part of a lion's diet. Because they often take over kills made by hyenas, cheetahs and leopards, scavenged food provides more than 50 percent of their diets in areas like the Serengeti plains. Lions will also kill any predator if they get a chance and often kill the young of leopard, jackal, hyena, cheetah, honey badger, caracal, wild dog and civet amongst others, to naturally eliminate competition for food and territory. They will not always eat these animals, but sometimes might.
Lions are opportunistic hunters. They will eat anything from termites to an elephant if they can. Depending on their territory and the species of prey available in the area they usually hunt medium to large size animals like wildebeest, impala, zebra, waterbuck, kudu, buffalo and giraffe amongst others and even in some cases hippos, young rhinos and elephants. Giraffe have been known to inflict serious injuries to lions and often kill lions, while defending themselves by kicking at the lions, especially with their hind legs.
Lions are often found following large or smaller herds of buffalo while waiting for a chance to catch and kill one, although buffaloes are not that easy to catch due to the fact that they will not always run away but will group together (often forming a circle around the young) and try to stand their ground in an effort to defend their young and each other. Lions are also often injured or killed by buffaloes, especially by the bulls which can cause a lot of damage with their horns as well as by stomping on the lions with their hard hooves.
Depending on the opportunity lions will often eat carrion or carcasses. They will nearly always take over the kills of other predators like jackals, hyenas, cheetahs, African Wild dogs or leopards. Lions will also eat a variety of smaller prey that can vary from termites, frogs, lizards, tortoises, porcupines, small rodents to birds like Guinea fowl,
Caring for the young lions
Litters consist of two or three cubs that weigh about 3 pounds each. Some mothers carefully nurture the young; others may neglect or abandon them, especially when food is scarce. Usually two or more females in a pride give birth about the same time, and the cubs are raised together. A lioness will permit cubs other than her own to suckle, sometimes enabling a neglected infant to survive. Capable hunters by 2 years of age, lions become fully grown between 5 and 6 years and normally live about 13 years.
Predators and threats
- Adult lions do not have many natural enemies except in some cases Hyenas (especially a pack / pride of hyenas at a carcass) and humans. However due to the fierce natural competition for food and territory, Leopard, Hyena, African Wild Dog, Cheetah and Jackal will kill lion cubs when the opportunity rises. Pythons, Crocodile and especially humans can also be enemies of Lions and their cubs.
- Lions have long been killed in rituals of bravery, as hunting trophies and for their medicinal and magical powers. Although lions are now protected in many parts of Africa, they were once killed on sight.
- Farmers will kill lions in retaliation for livestock deaths.
- Lions have lost 85% of their historic range.
- Lions and people are in close quarters due to expanding human populations and the resulting growth of agriculture, settlements, and roads.
- Their numbers have rapidly declined.
- 100 years ago, the lion population was approximately 200,000. Now it is estimated as less than 23,000.
- Natural populations of Lions are declining in South Africa. Lion populations at times contract tuberculosis and other diseases in certain parts of the Kruger.
Did you know?
- Most lions drink water daily if available, but can go four or five days without it. Lions in arid areas seem to obtain needed moisture from the stomach contents of their prey.
- When males take over a pride, they usually kill the cubs. The females come into estrus and the new males sire other cubs.
- Although lions are not the largest, nor the most powerful of all animals, male lions are often referred to as the King of the Jungle due to their regal posture.
- Also one of the big 5 animals, a term coined by hunters of old because of the degree of danger involved in hunting lions. There are many reports, since centuries ago, of hunters being injured or killed through the years while trying to hunt lions.
- A Male lion's roars can be heard on a quiet night over 6 km. Lions often roar after a kill or when members of a pride are trying to locate each other. Lionesses have a soft short roar that they utter when calling their cubs.
- Extreme color variations and genes in some lions have caused a small number of lions to be born completely white. The most famous of these lions were captured around the Timbavati area in and around the Kruger National Park. There are still a few breeding stations that are trying to breed with white lions.
Sources:
http://www.awf.org/campaigns/lion-poaching/
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_lion.html
http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/englion.html?zenden=2&subsoort_id=1&bestemming_id=1
http://www.wildlifesouthafrica.com/blog/mammals-of-south-africa/lion-fact-file
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