Lion Facts: Habitat, Diet and Where to See Them

The lion is Africa’s largest predator and one of the most recognisable animals on Earth. It once ranged from southern Europe through the Middle East to India and across almost all of Africa. Today most wild lions live in a few strongholds in East and southern Africa, with a separate population of Asiatic lions in India.

Interesting facts

Lions are the only truly social cats, living in prides of related females, their cubs and a coalition of one or more males.
Females do most of the hunting, often working as a team to ambush prey.
Lions can sleep or rest for up to 20 hours a day.
A male’s mane signals health and strength; darker, fuller manes attract females and intimidate rivals.
Lions have disappeared from over 90 percent of their historical range.
The Asiatic lion survives only in and around Gir National Park in Gujarat, India, where numbers have risen to over 600.

Behaviour

Prides typically hold 3 to 20 or more animals and defend territories that can range from about 20 to over 400 km² depending on prey density. Lions hunt mostly at night and at dawn and dusk. Coalitions of males take over prides by driving out resident males, and new males often kill young cubs so that females come back into breeding condition sooner.

Breeding and young

Females give birth to 1 to 4 cubs after a gestation of about 110 days, often synchronising births so that cubs can be nursed communally. Cubs are dependent for about two years, and young males leave the pride at 2 to 4 years old.

Threats and conservation

Habitat loss, conflict with livestock owners, poaching for body parts, snaring for bushmeat and loss of prey. The wild population is estimated at roughly 20,000 to 25,000.