Proud and formidable King of Beasts -. Despite its size, strength and power, this animal, through the efforts of humans, has significantly reduced its numbers. Lions are protected and live mainly in protected areas, but even there they are at risk from poachers. It is too honorable to kill a lion and hang its skin or stuffed it at home.

Appearance of an African lion

Leo is a representative of the cat family and of all representatives cat family Leos have the most pronounced gender differences. A lion and a lioness can be distinguished from afar, thanks to the presence of a lush long mane in male representatives.
It is quite possible that the lack of a mane in lionesses is the main advantage that helps lionesses during hunting; after all, the long mane constantly gets tangled in dense thickets.

Lions are the largest of the wild cats, the weight of an adult male sometimes reaches 250 kg, and the weight of an adult female can approach 170-180 kg. The length of an adult lion is up to three meters, not counting the tail, which, in turn, can reach a meter in length. Females are somewhat smaller, their length is about two meters, their tail is about 70 cm.

African lion habitats

African lions live in the savannas of southern Africa. Previously, their numbers were much higher, and they inhabited not only the territory of Africa, but also India, the Near and Middle East, and part of Europe. A small number of African lions live in India today, in a protected area called the Gar Forest.

African lion lifestyle

Another difference between lions and other representatives of the feline family is the creation of large families called prides. A pride consists of one or two strong lions, and large quantity females A clan created in this way has a number of advantages:

• A lion, or a pair of lions, takes upon themselves the protection of the territory in which the family lives. They protect their families from attacks from other lions who want to have their own clan.

Such battles occur often and last until the complete victory of one lion over the other. If an outside lion wins, he destroys all male cubs in the pride.
At night, lions with their roar notify all neighbors located 8-9 kilometers from the pride that the flock is protected and this territory is guarded.

• A large number of females makes it possible to better provide the family with food, because The main hunters are female lions.

Lionesses are always under the protection of their family, remaining in the pride until the end of their lives. Grown-up sons are kicked out of the pack, and they create their own clans, sometimes at the cost of defeating another leader and his sons.

For convenience, lionesses tend to have offspring in approximately the same period; this makes caring for small lion cubs easier. Before the babies reach the age of 2 months, lionesses with lion cubs retire, uniting with other lion mothers, organizing in the likeness kindergarten. During the hunt, one or several females remain with the babies, while the rest hunt at this time. The remaining females look after the cubs, protect them and feed them. Grown-up lion cubs are brought into the pride and raised within the clan until the young males reach the age of 3 years. After this they are expelled from the family. Females remain in the pack. They reach childbearing age at the age of 4 years.

African lion nutrition

The main diet of the lion family is the meat of animals obtained by hunting. Males go hunting extremely rarely, only in case of severe hunger. Lionesses are very experienced and silent hunters; they rarely go hunting alone, which also distinguishes them from other wild cats. During a hunt, lionesses eat small prey on the spot, and bring large prey to the family, where it is divided among all members. Until the hunted carcass is completely destroyed, lionesses do not go hunting, even if the prey walks around their habitat.

Lions attack people extremely rarely; most often these are animals that have already tasted human meat or are very hungry.

Danger to African lions

Lions are in greatest danger from people, this is their main enemy. Representatives of lions also have clashes with their main competitors for food - hyenas, although they are afraid of African cats, but can try to attack on the sly.

Another danger that awaits lions at a watering hole is Nile crocodiles. A crocodile in the water is much stronger than both a lion and a lioness and is able to cope with the animal.

Video about the African lion

If you liked our site, tell your friends about us!

A lion ( Panthera leo) - an animal of the class mammals, such as chordates, the order Carnivora, the cat family, the genus panther, the subfamily Big cats.

The natives who lived side by side with the lion called the predatory lion “wild cat.” The lion received its modern name, consonant in many languages, in the 18th century from the Latin word leo.

Description of the lion, appearance, characteristics, photographs of the animal

Of the existing wild cats, the lion is second only in size. An adult male lion weighs on average up to 250 kg with a body length of 2.5 m. The flexible, mobile body of a lion has well-developed muscles of the neck and front legs. The lion's claws reach 7 cm in length.

The massive head of a lion with an elongated muzzle is endowed with strong jaws. The lion has 30 teeth, canines up to 8 cm in size allow him to successfully hunt large animals: roe deer, wild boar, etc.

A tongue covered with tubercles helps to quickly get rid of blood-sucking insects and care for the fur.

On the lion's face there are several rows of whiskers with dark spots at the base, forming a pattern unique to each individual. Newborn lion cubs are spotted, like , but at puberty the spots disappear. The color of a lion's fur can be sand, brown or with a red tint. The tail ends in a striking black tassel.

Some individuals have a “spur” inside the brush - a fused vertebral ending.

A unique feature of lions is their exceptional sexual dimorphism. Male lions are much larger in size than females and are endowed with a luxurious mane, which appears as early as six-month old lion cubs. By the age of three, the pile on a lion’s mane grows to 35-40 cm. Color, length and fullness depend on genetics, habitat and the amount of testosterone. Old seasoned lions have the thickest and shaggiest manes.

It may seem surprising, but lions are animals that have the smallest heart among large predators. That is why they do not differ in particular endurance, although when running at short distances lions reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. IN natural conditions lions live 12-15 years; in captivity, life expectancy increases by 5-7 years.

Types and classification of lions

The classification of lions includes 8 subspecies:

• Asiatic(Persian, Indian) lion (Panthera leo persica)

It is distinguished by a squat body and a sleek, not too thick mane. The weight of a lion is 150-220 kg, for males from 160 to 190 kg, for females from 90 kg to 120 kg. The height of the Asiatic lion at the withers reaches 1.05 meters. The record length of the lion reached 2.92 meters. Just over 500 representatives of this lion species live in the Indian Girsky Nature Reserve. The largest Asiatic lion was recorded to be 2.92 meters long;

Asiatic (Persian, Indian) lion

• Barbary lion (Panthera leo leo)

the most massive predator with a dark thick mane. Inhabited throughout the African continent. Unfortunately, it was finally exterminated by man at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, descendants of the Barbary lion live in captivity, but there is no need to talk about the purebred of the species. The weight of a male lion reaches 160-270 kg, the weight of a female is 100-170 kg. It was the largest predator of all lion species;

• Senegalese (West African) lion (Panthera leo senegalensis)

Males are distinguished by a light, short mane (or lack thereof), light fur and small sizes. Prides of this predator are smaller, and the shape of the skull is different from other species of lions. The habitat is located south of the Sahara from Senegal in the west and in the east to the Central African Republic. About a thousand representatives live in the savannas of Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal. This lion species is endangered;

Senegalese lion

• Northern Congo lion ( Panthera leo azandica)

By external signs similar to other African relatives. Lives in the savannas of northeastern Congo. The population of this lion species is gradually decreasing;

• East African(Masai) lion (Panthera leo nubica)

subspecies of African lion. Males are distinguished by elongated limbs and a “combed” back mane. Male lions reach a length of 2.5 - 3 meters, including the tail. The length of lionesses with a tail is 2.3 - 2.6 meters. The weight of a male lion is 150 - 230 kg, females 100 - 165 kg. Lions and lionesses have a withers height of 90 - 115 cm. The habitat of this species of lions is Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and other states in eastern Africa, and also inhabit the Kenyan Masai Mara reserve;

• southwest african(Katangese) lion (Panthera leo bleyenberghi)

differs in light color. It lives in southwestern Africa from Angola to Zimbabwe. The length of a male lion including his tail is 2.5 – 3.1 meters, the length of a lioness is 2.3 – 2.65 meters. The weight of a male lion is 140-240 kg, the weight of females is 105-170 kg. An endangered species of lions, on the verge of extinction;

• southeast african(Transvaal) lion (Panthera leo krugeri)

large individuals, males have a long dark mane. Some representatives exhibit leucism, a mutation associated with the absence of melanocytes. These exotics have white fur and pink skin. The body length of the Transvaal lion with a tail is 2.6 - 3.2 meters, the lioness's dimensions are more modest - 2.35 - 2.75 meters. The weight of a male reaches 150-250 kg, females - 110-180 kg. More than 2 thousand lions live in national park Kruger, as well as in the southern part of the African continent and in the Kalahari Desert;

• cape lion ( Panthera leo melanochaita)

A subspecies that disappeared in the 19th century. The last Cape lion was shot in 1858. These lions lived in the Cape Province at the Cape of Good Hope, which is located in southern Africa. This species of lion was distinguished by black-tipped ears, and the lion's mane covered the belly and shoulders of the mammal.

Extinct Cape Lion

Together with the tiger, leopard and jaguar, the lion forms the genus Panthera, members of which can interbreed to form viable hybrids: ligers (tigers), leopons (leopard + lion) and jaguls (jaguar + lion).

White Lion

White lions are not a subspecies, but genetic disease called leucism, when the coat turns white. White individuals live in the Kruger National Park and the Timbavati Reserve, which are located in the east of South Africa. Basically, such animals are kept in captivity.

White Lion

Do black lions exist in nature?

Black lions do not exist; in captivity such a species could survive, but in wildlife this is impossible. A pride of dark brown lions has been seen in Okovango, which scientists say is the result of inbreeding. In general, there is no evidence for the existence of a black lion.

Black Lion

Where and how do lions live?

Lions live on 2 continents: Africa and Asia. The distribution range of lions in Africa is located in the southern part of the Sahara Desert. In Asia, the wild lion lives in India, in the Gir forest of the Indian state of Gujarat.

In fact, during the early Middle Ages, the habitat of lions was much wider: animals lived throughout Africa and India, the Middle East, Iran and even southern Europe and Russia. But habitat destruction by predators and human persecution have led to a reduction in lion habitat.

In nature, lions live in savannas, sometimes in forests or bushes. Predators live in small packs - prides, consisting of 5-6 related females, their cubs and 1-2 mature males (2 males can only be in a pride if they are brothers). Young lions expelled from a pride face a solitary life, with the opportunity to join another pride or create their own.

The African lion is a member of the cat family. This is one of the most powerful predators.

In terms of size and body weight, it is second only to the tiger. The African lion lives in African countries located south of the Sahara Desert. Normally it exists only in protected areas; in other places it is actively destroyed by the local population, whose numbers are constantly increasing.

Now up to 50,000 representatives of this species live in Africa. Also, about 2,000 African lions live in captivity: in zoos and circuses. The situation with the population of these predators raises serious concerns.

Appearance

Representatives of this feline species have external differences based on gender. Males are much larger than females. Males also have long, lush manes, the hair length of which is about 40 cm. The hair of lions grows on the head, neck and chest and forms separate manes, united into one. There is a hair brush on the tail, the length of which is no more than 5 cm. Inside it is a small curved bone.

Lions have a yellow-gray color, but some individuals may differ in shade. The color of the mane is the same as the color of the skin, hairline The shoulders are very dark, sometimes black. The fur on the belly and back is short. Lioness do not have a mane, which makes them more able to withstand the heat. Also because of this, they easily pass through any dense thickets. This is probably the reason why lionesses do the hunting, and lions guard the territory.

The lion is truly the king of the savanna.

These animals are large in size. Average weight the male weighs 180 kg, and the maximum weighs 250 kg. Females weigh on average 125 kg, with a maximum weight of 180 kg. Lions living in southern Africa larger than representatives eastern and western regions. At the withers, males reach a height of 120 cm, females - 90 cm, extremely rarely - 100 cm. The body length of a male reaches 2.5 meters, females - 1.8 meters. The length of the tail ranges from 70cm to 1 meter. Weight Limit, which was recorded – 370 kg, maximum length was 3.6 meters.

Pride, reproduction, life expectancy

This predator is the most socially organized of all representatives of the cat family. Reside african lions groups with large numbers, so-called prides. All females of the pride try to get pregnant at the same time, because... It is easier to feed and look after cubs born at the same time. The duration of pregnancy is 110 days. Childbirth among lionesses takes place in secluded places outside the pride: in caves, thickets of bushes.

Up to 4 lion cubs are born, weighing up to 2 kg, helpless and blind. Babies open their eyes 10 days after birth, and after another 10 days they begin to walk. The female constantly goes off to hunt, leaving the cubs alone. To prevent other predators from finding their babies by smell, lionesses change their den every few days.

Females return to prides when the lion cubs are already 1.5-2 months old. The cubs are fed milk for six months. Lionesses have different attitudes towards their offspring: they love males less. When the father of the offspring dies, another lion kills his male cubs. In this case, the lioness may not react to this in any way, but she will protect the female cubs to the end and will not allow anyone to touch them.

Listen to the voice of the African lion

When males turn 2-3 years old, they are expelled from the pack and lead a solitary lifestyle. Then they either create their own group or join an existing one. Some males live alone or in pairs all their lives. Lionesses remain with their mothers forever. All lionesses in the group are relatives; there are no foreign females in the packs. Young lions have very high level mortality rate, only 20 out of 100 lions will survive to 2 years.

Males become sexually mature at 3 years. The first birth in females occurs at 4 years. The prime period of a predator is from 4 to 10 years. Then the lions gradually age. Lifespan in the wild is up to 15 years, in captivity – up to 20-22 years.

Food and hunting

The usual habitat for African lions is the savannah, where many ungulates live with them. They form the basis of the diet of these predators. Females hunt, and males at this time protect the territory from attacks by lions from other prides. Such clashes are not uncommon, and often result in the death of one of the lions.

They hunt mainly at dusk, early morning and late evening, although sometimes lionesses go hunting during the day. Small prey is eaten on the spot, large prey is taken to the group and there the whole flock eats it.

Healthy and strong animals and the sick and wounded receive food for equal conditions. Lions do not start hunting until they have eaten their previous kill. At this time, they do not attack potential victims, even if they are nearby.

Most of the time these felines rest.

Enemies

These giant cats often quarrel with cats, because these animals have the same diet. Predators often take the prey of hyenas, who are forced to sit and wait for the lions to satisfy their hunger. If there is a pack of hyenas and the number of lionesses is small, then the hyenas take the prey. In these confrontations, strength always wins. The same thing happens in confrontations between lions and cheetahs and leopards.

The power and strength of the lion are covered in legends. Because he looks truly regal. The imagination first of all pictures a lion in its prime. His incomparable dark gold or black-brown mane gives him the majesty of a monarch. And the lion's voice is no less impressive than his appearance. On a quiet night, a lion's roar causes awe in everyone who hears it - even eight kilometers away. In his behavior, the lion also shows many royal qualities.

The lion is a huge predator, with a strong, flexible, agile and muscular body. He runs well. This is a large predatory cat that has well-developed muscles in the neck and front legs, with which it captures and holds its prey. The lion's jaws are powerful, with huge fangs. The lion's grip with just its teeth is very strong. It can even hold animals as large as wildebeest. The tongue is rough and covered with tubercles in the form of sharp spines, which help it grab and tear off pieces of meat, literally tearing its prey apart. These same spines help the lion catch fleas and remove ticks when he grooms his skin. Lions hunt large animals: zebras, gazelles, wildebeests, and do not hesitate to steal, taking prey from other predators.
The male lion is much larger than the female and is 50 percent heavier in weight. He is easily recognized by his massive mane.

The huge weight of the lion gives crushing force to its blow. He easily scatters females when he takes prey from them. Many males live by feeding exclusively on food obtained by females, and almost never try to get anything themselves. Typically, the main role of males is to protect the territory from other animals encroaching on it. Females are mainly engaged in hunting. Lions differ from other cats in that they do not hunt alone, but in groups. They first try to isolate the prey from the herd, and then attack and kill it. They usually hunt at night, especially on the plains where the grass is short and it is difficult for a predator to hide in it.

Several lionesses surround the target animal, approaching it to within about 30 meters, and in this way they finally determine their choice. When the lioness comes very close to the victim, she with a strong blow huge paws will knock her off her feet and immediately sink his teeth into her throat. Every fourth attack usually ends in complete victory for the predators. When the hunters eagerly pounce on their prey, the male lion appears. It is possible that a pack of hyenas may be nearby. Usually lions, having dealt with a large killed animal, generously allow others to feast on the prey. The habitat is usually defended by male lions. Within one territory, a flock of lions can live, consisting of six male lions, twelve adult lionesses and young lion cubs.

Depending on living conditions in a given territory and the number of other animals, a flock can occupy an area of ​​up to 400 square km.

However, where there is more than enough food, this area may be significantly smaller. Lions breed at any time of the year, however, females of one pack (pride) prefer to have cubs at the same time (to make it easier to protect them from other predators and male lions of another pride). They even feed them, without dividing them into friends and foes. If one female dies, the others take care of the deceased's cubs. On average, a lioness brings up to three cubs in one litter. The cubs stay with their mother for up to six months while they suckle her. From the age of three months they begin to eat meat little by little. Lionesses in a pride are almost always related to each other and are reluctant to accept strangers. Male lion cubs are taught to hunt later than lionesses; sometimes young lions begin to learn only in the fifth year of life. Therefore, it is important that males remain in their home pride for as long as possible, but they are usually kicked out when they are still young. These exiled males sometimes form a pack where they have a better chance of survival. A pride of bachelor males is short-lived. Driven by instincts, males go to prides where lionesses live, and there they try to fight for leadership. In the heat of battle, success favors the strongest and most agile, and the once friendly pack of males soon disintegrates. One of the mysteries of lion behavior was that for some reason the males killed their cubs. Now this mystery has been solved. The fact is that the attack of males is caused by their jealousy of young lion cubs. Male lions do not tolerate unnecessary rivals in their pack, so they strive to get rid of them. There is another explanation for such cruel and incomprehensible behavior. The male in this way encourages the female to give birth to new cubs. And they have a better chance of survival than previous cubs. And they will get more food.

During the mating period, the relationship between partners is very tender. The dominant lion mates with a female who is in heat every twenty to thirty minutes - and so on for hours (up to 30-40 times a day in total). During sexual intercourse, the male lion bites the lioness on the scruff of the neck, as is typical for cats. Three and a half months after mating, the pregnant lioness leaves the pride, finds a secluded corner overgrown with grass and gives birth to offspring there. Lion cubs are born blind and helpless. Their skin is covered with spots that gradually disappear as they grow older (although adult lions with preserved “children’s” spots are occasionally found). In most cases, no more than half of all lion cubs survive. Lion cubs suck mother's milk from birth until they are six to seven months old. Then they eat only meat. At about two months of age, lion cubs join the pride. A lion is considered an adult at 5 years old and by this time has reached its optimal “fighting” size.

The lion is one of the largest predators on earth. The average African male weighs about 350 pounds (160 kilograms), and reaches a length of about 8.5 feet (2.6 meters). However, in South Africa in 1936, a 690-pound (313 kilogram) male was shot. The animal was exceptionally massive; probably, individuals of this weight no longer exist in nature. Life expectancy: up to 17-20 years in nature and up to 30 years in captivity.

White lions are lions with reduced production of the pigment melanin. The reason for this phenomenon is a recessive gene that rarely manifests itself. The result of its action is a light color ranging from creamy beige to snow-white. Some white lions are white in some parts of the body and cream in others; some are painted a smooth white-cream color. White lions often have blue eyes (which is also associated with low melanin levels). There are currently about 300 white lions living on earth. Exist special programs to preserve this type of color. But such a color only harms the lions themselves, living in the wild, as it unmasks them, preventing them from hunting. There is an assumption that the gene that gives white coloring in lions remained from distant ancestors who lived in glacial period, When White color wool was needed for camouflage

A little history of lions:
Lions reached their maximum distribution at the end of the Pleistocene: approximately 100,000–10,000 years ago they had the most extensive land range among mammals. Various geographic races or subspecies of lions were found from Alaska and the Yukon to North America to Peru in Southern, throughout Europe, in Asia to Siberia and most of Africa. They became extinct in North America approximately 10,000 years ago. IN historical times lions lived in the extreme south of Africa and throughout the north of this continent, as well as throughout Western Asia, reaching India, where they occupied semi-desert plains in the northern half of the country, and the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. On the European continent, lions were exterminated by 100 AD, and in other parts of their former range - by the end of the last century. In Iran, a few lions remained until 1942; in India their number was reduced to about 25, and they remained there only in the Gir forest, but they were taken under protection and their population has increased significantly since the 1940s. Now there are approximately 225 Asiatic lions. Studies have shown that these animals are morphologically and genetically different from African ones. Unfortunately, apparently as a result of prolonged inbreeding, Asiatic lions have almost completely lost their genetic diversity, which reduces their adaptive flexibility when changing environment. In addition, they have symptoms of reproductive dysfunction (low sperm quality with numerous abnormalities). Lions breed easily in captivity. As part of a worldwide program covering dozens of zoos, over the years they have already received several hundred Asiatic lions, constituting their “reserve” population, which can be used to strengthen the wild one. However, it was recently discovered that the founders of this population in captivity were not only purebred Asiatic, but also African lions, so work is now underway to create a new, “pure” population, as well as to establish separate pedigree books for African lions bred in zoos.

Leo is called the "King of Beasts". In the European tradition, it is a symbol of power, embodying the power of the sun and fire. In heraldry, the lion symbolizes royalty and nobility. In the countries of South- East Asia(China, Japan, Korea) since ancient times there has been a special, highly mythologized and stylized image of a lion - the so-called Chinese lion. It bears little resemblance to a real lion, and rather resembles mythical creature. According to beliefs Ancient China, lion is the mythical protector of the Law, guardian of sacred buildings. It is a symbol of power and success, royal power and strength. Such lions were installed as “guardians” in front of the gates of imperial tombs, government residences, administrative buildings and religious buildings of Imperial China (approximately since the Han Dynasty) and Japan. Currently, it is an attribute of Buddhist temples in East Asia (China, Korea, Japan) and Central Asia(Mongolia and Russia) and Shinto shrines.

Since ancient times, these large cats have inspired respect for all of humanity, captivating our imagination. Did you recognize them? Of course, these are African lions. We honor these animals, endowing them with the best human qualities: courage, nobility, loyalty and power. But folklore is folklore, and don’t forget that lions are dangerous predatory cats capable of doing anything for profit. How do they behave in the wild? Let's find out!

Undisputed Beast Master

Why are African lions endowed with “royal” powers and considered leaders among all modern land animals? Firstly, they have a rather regal appearance. Secondly, when we hear the word “lion,” what first appears in our imagination is a large maned cat in the prime of life. Thirdly, it is impossible not to take the lion’s unique black-brown or dark-golden mane seriously, because it is this that gives him the greatness of a monarch!

These majestic animals have an equally impressive voice. For example, on a quiet night, a lion's roar terrifies everyone who hears it at a distance of up to 8 kilometers. African lions display many royal qualities in their behavior. In their ordinary state, these predators are majestically sociable and good-natured, except when they are protecting their prey or their family. However, some scientists doubt the vaunted nobility of these animals: males quite often take prey from their own females and gorge themselves on it.

Where do African lions live?

As their name suggests, these predators inhabit mainly the savannas of Africa, but can also move into bushland or even forests. They once inhabited the territory of Europe, the Middle and Near East, as well as India. Unfortunately, the development of livestock farming in the world has contributed to a reduction in the population of these animals, which, in turn, has pushed them exclusively to the South. Currently, these animals trample the lands of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, and in India they are kept in the Garsky Forest reserve.

Second largest after the tiger

African lion - carnivorous mammal, one of four members of a genus of large cats called panthers. It is the second largest modern one after the tiger. The mass of some lions can reach 250 kilograms and length - 3 meters. As a rule, females are an order of magnitude smaller than males: their body length does not exceed 2.2 meters, and their weight ranges around 140 kilograms.

Lions living in Africa are the only cats that can be easily distinguished from each other by appearance and gender: lionesses do not have a mane. These truly majestic animals have enormous physical power. For example, an adult lion can knock down a three-hundred-kilogram zebra with one blow of its paw! Lions differ from other large cats in that they live in related groups of several males and females. Scientists call such communities prides.

How is their pride organized?

These African and lionesses) are collective inhabitants. Usually their pack (pride) includes 2-3 males, as well as several lionesses with cubs. Each such family has its own leader. It does not have to be a large and strong animal. The main thing here is to be a natural leader, then the rest of the pride males will recognize you and respect you. The leader, in turn, must be patient and good-natured towards all members of the pride. Typically, the size of one lion pack ranges from 5 to 40 animals.

Zoologists claim that all lionesses within one pride are related to each other. They are each other's sisters, mothers, cousins, daughters, granddaughters, grandmothers. As a rule, lionesses born in a pack remain in it until the end, but if the group grows quickly, the pride can split into two parts. Females jointly care for their own and others’ offspring, defend their possessions, hunt and eat food together.

But not everything is always sweet and smooth in the lion family. African lions are not always kind to their females. Soulless males can simply take food from females and their own children until they themselves have enough to eat. The leader lion does not protect aged or sick members of the pride, but, on the contrary, drives them away from the pack. If the leader himself becomes decrepit and old, he will become food for hyenas. Such is their difficult relationship. Who said that a lion is a noble creature?

How do they hunt?

Getting food in the life of these predators, as in the life of any other animals, is of paramount importance. The responsibility for obtaining food within the pride is assigned to females, while males are responsible for the safety of their family, and also participate in procreation. Lionesses belonging to the same pack hunt in their own group. Their prey is large ones, such as antelopes. They obtain food in three different ways:

• independent day hunt for African lions;
• taking food from other animals;
• eating carrion (already dead animals).

Lionesses usually hunt in daytime, but at strong feeling hunger they do this around the clock. During this period, they attack not only large ungulates, but also hippos, birds, hares, mice, people... As soon as the lionesses notice the victim, they very quietly get closer to it, and then strike with a sudden and lightning-fast strike. As soon as the prey is stunned, her relatives come to the aid of the lioness.

How many years do lions live?

In nature, these predators, like ordinary cats, live from 10 to 15 years. In captivity, African lions (circus, zoo) live up to 25 years. As a rule, males in the wild rarely live to be at least 10 years old. This is understandable: brutal fights with other lions leave their mark on this. As mentioned above, the number of these African predators is inevitably declining. Over the past 20 years, their population has decreased by 40%.

Leo in human culture

No wonder the ancient Egyptians depicted the lion as a symbol of divine power and royal dignity (remember the Sphinx?). The ancient Greeks and Assyrians generally saw these majestic animals as companions of goddesses. It is believed that in early Christian folklore and art, the lion could symbolize Jesus Christ himself. In the Middle Ages, these predators adorned the coats of arms of many houses belonging to monarchs and nobles.