Lions once ranged over vast areas on many continents. Fossil evidence shows that until about 10,000 years ago, lions lived throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and into Asia as far as southern India and the island of Sri Lanka. They also lived in North America and northern South America. Since then, however, the lion's range has been shrinking steadily.
Lions can be found in a variety of habitats, grassy plains, savannas, and dry woodlands for example. Today, lions are found in the wild in only two places on earth. About 100,000 lions survive in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Another 300 lions, called Asian lions, live in a reserve called the Gir National Park and Lion Sanctuary in northwest India
The lion is the only social member of the cat family, living in prides that average 12 members of related females (mothers, sisters, daughters, cousins and aunts), juvenile male offspring, and an 'alpha' male or coalition of males. Coalitions of males are more successful than individual males at keeping their prides and territories secure, and ensuring the future of their genes.
The mane of the male lion makes his appearance larger than he really is. This mane gives him protection during territorial fights with rival male lions or with predators. The mane, which doesn't fill in until he is five years old, is generally blonde, brown and black, usually darkening with age. Well fed, healthy males will often exhibit a darker mane than males that are less successful.
The roar of a male lion can be heard by humans for more than five miles, and by other lions and animals with more sensitive hearing than humans for much further than that.
Female lions of the pride to the majority of the hunting, providing for their collective young, and have been known to feed on almost any hoof stock that is unlucky enough to stumble into the hunting grounds of a hunting party of lionesses. When a kill has been made often the male of the pride will arrive to take his fill first, his wages for keeping the pride safe from other males who would take over his females and more likely than not kill any cubs present to trigger an immediate estrus response in the females. However, no lion is above scavenging a feed from another predator, like hyenas or leopards, or taking advantage of a natural death.
Asiatic Lions
Panthera leo persica
The Asiatic (or Indian) lion is the sub-species that once ranged from Greece to central India. In 1910 there were reported to be fewer than two dozen of these lions left in the wild although this low figure may have been publicized to discourage lion hunting - census data from the time indicates the population was probably closer to 100.
The small remaining population of wild Asiatic Lions is geographically isolated in North western India in the Gir National Forest Lion Preserve, putting their genetic diversity at greater danger from natural disasters
Asiatic lions have the same basic social structure as their African cousins except that their prides are generally smaller and their ties looser. This is possibly due to an abundance of small pray, making large hunting parties unnecessary.
African lions and Asian lions differ slightly in appearance. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African cousins, and though they have a less well developed mane, Asiatic lions have thicker elbow tufts and a longer tail tuft. Asian lions have a flap of skin on the abdomen, called a belly fold, not found in African lions.
Fossil records indicate that the two sub-species separated as recently as 100,000 years ago, during which time lions also roamed extensively throughout Europe, and North America and northern South America.
Asiatic Lions seldom come into contact with the Bengal Tiger, which also inhabits the Gir. This is the only place in the world where the species naturally coexist.
- Range: Gir National Forrest, India
- Habitat: Forest, savanna, grasslands
- Life expectancy: 10 to 16 years in the wild, 16 to 25 in captivity
- Size: 7 to 9 feet, including tail; 38 to 45 inches at shoulder
- Weight: Males average 400 pounds, females 300 pounds
Big Foot
Male (Born 2.17.93)
Tonya
Female (Born 1.01.01)
African Lions
Panthera leo
The African lion is found throughout the south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa, inhabiting grassy plains, savanna, open woodlands and scrub country. Although the population of African lions is declining, they are not currently listed as endangered or threatened. Since the early 1950s, the lion population in Africa has been reduced by half. Today fewer than 21,000 remain in all of Africa.
- Range: Africa, Asia Minor, Middle East, Pakistan, China, South-East Asia
- Habitat: Forest, savannah, grassland, thin bush, desert, mountains
- Life expectancy: 10 to 16 years in the wild, 16 to 25 in captivity
- Size: 8 to 10 feet, including tail; 40 to 48 inches at shoulder
- Weight: Males average 450 pounds, females 330 pounds
Patty
Female (Born 5.01.00)
