Species Spotlight: Lion

Questions and Answers

How do you determine a lion’s age?
A good gauge of a male lion’s age is the darkness of his mane. The darker the mane, the older the lion.

Are lions social?
African lions are the most social of all big cats and live together in groups or “prides.” A pride consists of about 15 lions.

What are the greatest threats to lions?
Lions face increasing threats like climate change, poaching, loss of habitat, and loss of prey.

Habitat

Even though the lion is sometimes referred to as the “king of the jungle,” it actually only lives in grasslands and plains.
DIet

Lions are carnivores that predominantly hunt and kill medium-sized mammals.
Threats

Lions face increasing threats like climate change, poaching, loss of habitat, and loss of prey.
Interesting Fact

Male lions defend the pride’s territory while females do most of the hunting. Despite this, the males eat first.