WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
10 amazing facts you didn’t know about Lions
14
Apr
Apr
Probably the most sought after member of Africa’s Big Five animals, lions are one of most recognizable animals around. Their trademark manes and resounding roars attract travelers from all over the world, though these social cats often receive little benefit.
Despite their popularity and fame, these cats are facing major threats to their existence; conservation travel to African communities to see lions in the wild can help make a major difference in efforts to protect them.
Here are 10 amazing facts you should know about these amazing animals…
- Lions once lived in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America, and Northern India. Now lions primarily live in Africa, aside from a small group (about 300) Asiatic lions that live in India’s Gir Forest. Their numbers have dropped an estimated 30 percent over the past twenty years, to less than a total of 30,000.
- Lions live in large groups called prides, similar to wolves (but not most other cat species). A pride consists of multiple related females and their dependent offspring along with two or three unrelated males. A typical pride has about 15 members, although some prides as large as 40 members have been observed.
HELP SAVE THE LIONS – 15% GO TO LIONS SANCTUARIES
USD $13.89
USD $19.89
Sale!
USD $13.89
- Only about 1 in 8 male lions survive to adulthood. A majority of lions die shortly after being kicked out of their pride around the age of 2. For example, when a new lion takes over a pride, it always kills all cubs which are not his own.
- A good gauge of a male lion’s age is the darkness of his mane. Indeed, the darker a male lion’s mane is, the older he is.
- Two thousand years ago, over a million lions roamed throughout regions that covered Europe, Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and India. In the 1940s, lions numbered 450,000. Today, there are as few as 32,000 on Earth.
- The roar of a lion can be heard from 8 kilometers (5.0 miles)away. Mostly, if humans shout to each other you can hear our voices for up to 984 feet (300 meters). So that roar stretches a long way ! 😉
- A female lion needs 11 pounds (5 kilograms) of meat and a male 15 pounds (7 kilograms) or more a day. That’s quite a lot if you consider that the average steak we eat is about ½ a pound (200 grams)…so the male needs 35 times more meat a day than we would eat in a single serving.
- Porcupine is usually one of the worst enemies of lions. Their sharp quills can be easily get stuck in the lion’s jaw forever.
- In the wild, they rest for around 20 hours a day. Can you imagine resting for 20 hours a day ? We’d never get anything done at all. 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. Okay, we’ll forgive them for all that downtime, they’re enjoying themselves.
- In 2005, an Ethiopian girl was being brutally beaten by 7 men when a pride of lions chased them away. They even stayed with her until help arrived.
HELP SAVE THE LIONS – 15% GO TO LIONS SANCTUARIES
USD $19.89
Sale!
USD $19.89
USD $13.89
