Living in the
grasslands, scrub, and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, the
lion is the second largest cat in the world. It is dwarfed slightly
by the tiger, which is closely related and has a very similar body
type.

Unlike other cats, lions are very social animals. They live in
groups, called prides, of around 30 lions. A pride consists of up
to three males, a dozen related females, and their young. The size
of the pride is determined by the availability of food and water.
If resources are scarce, the pride becomes smaller.

Pride members keep track of one another by roaring. Both males
and females have a very powerful roar that can be heard up to 8 km
(5 mi.) away.

Males and females take on very different roles in the pride.
Male lions spend their time guarding their territory and their
cubs. They maintain the boundaries of their territory, which can be
as large as 260 sq. km (100 sq. mi.), by roaring, marking it with
urine, and chasing off intruders. Their thick manes, a unique trait
to male lions, protect their necks when they fight with
challengers.

Female lions are
the primary hunters of the group. They are smaller and more agile
than males. But since their prey is still generally faster than
them, they use teamwork to bring an animal down. Fanning out, they
form a semicircle, with the smaller, weaker lionesses herding the
prey towards the center. Then the stronger females knock the animal
down and make the kill.

Lions usually hunt at night. Their prey includes antelopes,
buffaloes, zebras, young elephants, rhinos, hippos, wild hogs,
crocodiles and giraffes. But they also sometimes eat smaller prey
like mice, birds, hares, lizards, and tortoises. They are not above
stealing kills from other carnivores, like hyenas, wild dogs,
cheetahs, and leopards, or scavenging spoiled meat.

After a successful hunt, all the lions in the pride share the
meal. But there is a pecking order, with the adult males taking
first claim, followed by the lionesses, and finally, the cubs.

Lions have a fast-working digestive system, which allows them to
gorge themselves and then go for seconds shortly after. If
available, they will drink water everyday. But they can go 4-5 days
without drinking by obtaining moisture from the stomach contents of
their prey.

Spending 16-20 hours of the day sleeping or resting, lions are
the laziest of the big cats. They can be found lying on their backs
with their feet up or taking a snooze up in a tree. While lazing
around, they are very affectionate towards one another, rubbing
heads, grooming, and purring.

Lionesses give birth to 2-3 cubs at a time. Usually a couple
females give birth around the same time. The cubs are then raised
together, sometimes nursing communally.

Vulnerable to
predators like hyenas, leopards, and black-backed jackals, cubs
have a 60-70% mortality rate. They are sometimes trampled by large
animals like buffaloes. Furthermore, when another group of male
lions takes over a pride, they kill all the cubs so they can sire
their own with the lionesses.

Female cubs stay with the group as they age. At around two years
old, they become capable hunters. But young males are forced out of
the pride at that age. They form bachelor groups and follow
migrating herds until they are strong enough to challenge male
lions of other prides. In general, a group of males stays in power
in the pride for around three years before another bachelor group
takes it over.

Conservation Status

African lions are considered vulnerable of extinction by the
IUCN Red List. They are threatened by loss and fragmentation of
habitat. They are also killed by humans in bravery rituals, as
hunting trophies, for medicinal powers, or by ranchers protecting
their livestock. Furthermore, they are susceptible to tick-borne
diseases like canine distemper and babesia. Distemper is spread to
lions by neighboring village dogs as well as hyenas. Babesia occurs
during droughts, when malnourished prey is vulnerable to disease.
The ticks spread to the lions after they kill the sick animal. The
combination of distemper and babesia causes mass fatalities in lion
populations.

Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/08/05/lion-facts-for-kids-no-kidd-i-ng/

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