Lion

The lion is the second-largest wild cat after the tiger. It is a symbol of power, strength, and courage. Most lions live in Africa, but a small population of Asiatic lions lives in India.

CLASSIFICATION

Lineage: The lion is a member of the Panthera lineage,, along with the jaguar, tiger, leopard and snow leopard. There are two genera in this lineage: Panthera and Neofelis.

Meaning of the name:  The origin of the word “lion” is unclear. It is generally believed that the English word lion comes from Latin “leonem” and Greek “leon.” Simba is the name for lion in Swhaili, the langauar of the Swahili people who are found mostly in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.

Interesting facts about lions

• Lions are the second biggest wild cat.
• Males have a brown mane.
• Lions rest up to 20 hours a day.
• Most of the lion’s prey is killed near water like rivers.
• The lion is one of the most well-known animals on the planet.
• Lions live in groups (prides) of 10 to 15 lions.
• The roar of a male lion can be heard up to five miles away.
• Females do most of the hunting, while males defend their territory.
• Lions cubs are born with spots.
• They tear up their food and swallow it, instead of chewing it.

More about lions

Origin and history

Today, most of the world’s lion population lives in Africa, but 50,000 years ago, they were prevalent in the Middle East, Southern and Central Europe, and India, not to mention north and east through Asia as far away as Siberia.

Most likely, the cats went north out of Africa into Europe and Asia, eventually crossing the Bering land bridge into Alaska and down through North America to Mexico. They were an integral part of the planet’s ecosystems, occupying more territory than any other mammal in history, second only to that of Man himself, whose subsequent flourishing contributed to the loss of habitat and diminished range of the lion, right on up to the present day.

The cave lion

A molecular study of ancient fossils suggests the Panthera species could have begun as long ago as 2 to 3 million years, but the clearest and most abundant fossilized evidence dates from Europe, Siberia, and Alaska about 500,000 years ago, where the enormous Cave Lion (Panthera leo fossilis) roamed. The Cave Lion is a quarter larger than today’s lions and had a territory of immense proportions. Since then, it evolved into what is known as the true Cave Lion (Panthera leo spelaea), which, during the last 60,000 years, became extinct, probably due to a combination of climate change and over-hunting by humans.

The American lion

The American lion (Panthera leo atrox) lived in Central America and halfway down the South American continent. It is thought to be the largest lion to have ever lived, standing five feet tall and measuring 11½ feet from nose to tail. It weighed about 700 to 800 pounds. This big cat’s brain-to-body size was larger than that of any known modern cat.

The American lion was stronger and probably faster than any other cat and, in its time, was a competing predator with saber-tooth cats. It could bite twice as strong as today’s lion. More than 100 American lions have been found at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, CA.

About 13,000 years ago, however, it went extinct, most likely following the extinction of its prey.

Physical appearance

Lions have big chests and fur ranging from light beige to reddish and dark brown. Some lions also have a grey-looking coat. Males are bigger than females, with broader heads and a mane. They can grow up to 82 inches in length, with a tail as long as 37 inches, and weigh between 370 to over 400 lbs. A female’s head and body length is 63 to 72 inches, with a tail up to 35 inches long. Females weigh from 200 to 300 lbs.

Location and habitat

Lions typically inhabit savannah and grassland but can also live in bush (shrublands), forests, and deserts, usually up to 13,800 feet elevation.

One hundred thousand lions lived in the wild 25 years ago, but human encroachment and conflict have since reduced that number to 23,000

African lions are found from the Sahara’s southern edge to northern South Africa, where they typically inhabat open plains, thick brush and dry forests.

A small population of lions (less than 400) can be found in West Africa.

The Asiatic lion lives in the Gir Forest of northwest India.

Countries where the lion can still be found: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and possibly Gabon.

Lion behavior

Hunting and prey

Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on hoofed animals such as buffalo, zebras, gazelle, impala, different types of deer, and warthogs. They will also attack domestic livestock.

These large cats are normally without predators and so at the top of the food chain, but they are also opportunistic food seekers. They tend to sleep in the daytime and hunt at night.

Mating and reproduction

The female lion’s gestation period (pregnancy) is a little over 100 days. Lionesses will usually have one to four cubs, which they keep in a den (a secluded area).

Cubs are born blind and weigh between 2 and 5 lbs at birth. Their eyes will open about a week after birth. The lioness will keep moving the location of her den to prevent her cubs from being attacked by other predators.

After several weeks, both the lioness and her cubs will rejoin the pride.

Lions live in the wild to about 12 years of age, although lions in captivity live almost twice that long. In the wild, rivalries amongst males are so frequent that the constant fighting lowers their lifespan by nearly fifty percent.

Lion families

Most big cats live solitary lives but not so the lion. They are unusually social and live in groups called “prides.” A pride consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males.

Lion coalitions

Male lions will occassionally form coalitions. A coalition is a group of 2 to 4 males (or larger) who come together and compete with other male lions for female lions. The coaltions are usually made up of brothers or cousins, but are sometimes joined by unrelated males. 

Communication

Lion sounds include roaring, snarling, hissing, coughing, woofing, and miaowling. They also head rub and lick members of their pride.

Lion conservation 

Lions once roamed in large numbers throughout Africa. Even 50 years ago, more than 200,000 lions lived in the wild; today, their numbers have been drastically reduced. Like most wild cats, lion populations are rapidly downtrending due to habitat loss, illegal trade, poaching, hunting, retaliation, killing, and loss of prey.

Many areas where lions once roamed have become farm or cattle lands. They are losing their habitat and becoming sick from diseases (canine distemper virus, bovine tuberculosis, and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)  that impact their immune system and reproduction ability.

Several African countries prohibit lion hunting, but trophy hunting is still permitted in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, CAR, Mozambique, South Africa, Nambia, Benin, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Hundreds of lion “trophies” continue to be exported each year.

Lions are also being bred in captivity and killed to provide skins and other lion products.

Lions in culture

The lion’s image appears widely on religious artifacts, national flags, paintings, and literature throughout the ages and in contemporary films and art.

It has become one of human culture’s most widely recognized animal symbols.

Lion depictions have been found in carvings and paintings from more than a dozen caves in England and Europe, including the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in France (Lascaux dates from 17,500 years ago, Chauvet from 30-32,000 years ago).

Tomb paintings in Ancient Egypt around 3,500 BC included images of lions. In Egyptian mythology, the war goddess Sekhmet (the goddess of medicine) was depicted as a lioness.t

Other gods in later periods of Egyptian culture (Maahes and Dedun) were depicted as lions as well.

Lions have also appeared in vases, reliefs, statues, and other types of sculpture, like the Lion Gate of ancient Greece.

Africa

In Africa, the lion represents courage, nobility, and strength. It is associated with kings and chiefs. Lions are frequently mentioned in African folklore and rituals and appear in paintings, masks, and woodcarvings.

In East Africa, the Maasai associate lions with power, strength, leadership, and bravery. Lion hunting was once an ancient tradition; today, the Maasai are working to protect them.

The Yoruba, an ethnic group in West Africa, consider the lion the king of the animal kingdom. They associate lions with royalty and incorporate the image of a lion into royal clothing ornaments as a symbol of power and authority.

For the Shona people of Southern Africa, the lion symbolizes courage. They are also considered guardians of the land and are protected.

African lion proverbs:

• “The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks.”
• “Do not try to fight a lion if you are not one yourself.”
• “When a goat laughs upon hearing that a lion is around, one needs to find out what grass it has been eating.” – Nigeria
• “No one challenges the lion in its den, for some challenges are too dangerous or formidable to confront directly.” – Nigeria
• “When a lion roars, he does not catch game.”  South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

Egypt

Historically, lions (barbary lions) could be found in Egypt and surrounding areas, including the Sinai peninsula and Nile Valley. They were associated with danger, protection, life and death, pharaohs (royalty), and the sun. Lions were depicted in Egyptian art even when they could no longer be found in the region. The goddess Sekhmet, meaning the “mighty one,” had the head of a lion. She was associated with war, disease, and healing.

Western Culture

The Babylon Lion

The Babylonian empire reached its peak during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 B.C.). “Professional Way” was the most significant street in Babylon. It passed through the Ishtar Gate to Bit Akitu (House of the New Year’s Festival).  The gate was made of glazed brick and decorated with figures and symbols, including dragons and bulls. North of the gate, their were figures of lions. The lions were a repeating design that helped guide processions from the city to the temple.

Image: The glazed brick lions of Babylon

“Daniel in the Lions Den” – Peter Paul Rubens

“Una and the Lion” – William Bell Scott

“Una and the Lion” – Briton Riviere

Lion research, references and quotes

“The most preferred weight of lion prey is 350 kg (771 lbs.). The mean mass of significantly preferred prey species is 290 kg (639 lbs.) and of all preferred species is 201 kg (443 lbs.). Gemsbok, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe and zebra are significantly preferred. Species outside the preferred weight range are generally avoided.” 2006 Prey preferences of the lion (Panthera leo) | Kerley

(Gemsbok is a large antelope. Males weighs 490 to 660 lbs. African buffalos weigh from 660 to 2,000 lbs., wildebeest weigh 260 to 600 lbs., giraffes weight 1,800 to 2,600 lbs. and zebra weigh between 770 and 950 lbs.)

“We found that lions exhibit substantial differences in habitat selection with respect to humans based on behavioral state and time of day. During the day, when risk of human encounter is highest, lions avoided areas of high human use when resting, meandering, and feeding. However, lions specifically selected for habitat near people when feeding at night.” 2019 Behavior-specific habitat selection by African lions may promote their persistence in a human-dominated landscape | Suraci, Frank et al.