African Lion

Lions are at the top of the food chain and mainly consume medium-to-large hoof stock such as gazelle, warthogs, zebra, wildebeest, and sometimes small giraffes and elephants. When prey is scarce, lions will scavenge food from cheetahs or hyenas.

At the Zoo, lions enjoy a variety of foods, including a specialized ground carnivore diet, chicken, and other meats. They also receive various foods for enrichment, including bones.

Lions once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe. The species has disappeared from 94% of its historical range. The African population can now only be found south of the Sahara Desert, primarily in eastern and southern countries up to elevations of 13,700 feet. There is a very small population in the Gir forest of India.

Lions can live in grasslands, scrub, plains, and woodland habitats, almost anywhere abundant prey species and cover exist. They can even be found in smaller numbers in semi-desert and mountain habitats.

Adult lions have no predators other than humans. If left alone, lion cubs can be vulnerable to predators like hyenas or other lions.

Lions face continued habitat loss as human populations grow and develop land for new purposes, which can increase the likelihood of human-lion interaction and lead to conflict. As their prey becomes more challenging to find, lions may turn to livestock for food, resulting in preemptive or retaliatory killing by humans. Poaching and trophy hunting are threats in many areas of their native range.

Lions are the second largest of the cat species and the only cats with manes. The male's mane begins to develop as short fringe around the head and face at about nine to twelve months of age and is not fully developed until five or six years of age. Mane color can vary between light tan and black. In general, mane hair gets longer and darker with age. Research has shown females prefer males with bigger and darker manes. The purpose of the mane is protection during a fight, a sign of gender identification at a distance and as an indicator of overall fitness.

One to six cubs are born after a three and a half month gestation. Weighing in at two to fours pounds at birth, cubs are born away from the pride and are re-introduced at about six weeks old. Cubs are born blind and helpless with brown spots on a thick grayish coat that disappear as they age. They start eating meat at three months but continue nurse for approximately six months. Male lions do not assist with cub rearing but tolerate the antics of their offspring. Females in a pride cooperate in raising cubs, nursing each other's cubs as well as defending them.

Lions communicate through body language, touch, scent, and vocalization. They roar to communicate with other lions, to broadcast ownership of a territory, to stay in contact with pride members, and, in some instances, to attract a mate. Lions have scent glands on their cheeks, lips, forehead, chin, tail, and between their toes. A lion leaves behind their scent to mark their territory and to attract a mate. Individuals from the same pride greet each other by rubbing their cheeks, necks, and bodies together. Grooming another lion helps the pride members bond.

Lions are the most social cats, typically living in family groups called prides, which can include one to two adult males, several related females, and their young. Group social behavior allows for protection, success in raising offspring and success in hunting.

Female lions do most of the hunting. They are ambush predators; moving stealthily toward prey and attacking when they are within striking distance. Lions are capable of great acceleration but only for short bursts and cannot outrun prey such as gazelles and impalas. Males eat first, then the females and finally the cubs.