Sometimes they want to let other lions in their group know where they are and that things are okay. Other times they use their roar to warn animals to stay away from their territory. This means nothing hunts or preys on lions. They do all the hunting and they are built perfectly for it. Lions have strong leg muscles for running and pouncing, sharp claws to hold prey, and super sharp teeth to cut meat.
They usually hunt in teams at night because their great night vision helps them spot prey easily in the dark. You know how no one has the same set of fingerprints? The spots form a pattern and each lion has a different pattern around their mouth. This is one way researchers and zookeepers can tell one lion apart from another. Neat, huh? African lions are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa. They used to be found all over Africa but now they have mostly disappeared from North Africa and are at risk of extinction in West Africa.
Lions live in savannahs and grasslands, where some cover and plenty of water can be found. If lions are your favourite animal you can adopt a lion for a one off payment that includes a cuddly lion toy, an adoption certificate, a lion fact sheet and the name of the adopter displayed at the lion enclosure. Lions hunt for food every few days. They will feed from their kill and then rest until they hunt again.
They usually kill medium sized mammals, such as zebra, deer and wildebeest. They often eat animals which have been killed by another hunter, such as hyenas. This is when they are vulnerable to attack from large birds, snakes and even male lions. A lioness will keep her cubs hidden from other lions for around six weeks until they are old enough to follow the pride.
Lion cubs are full of life and grow up playing with the other youngsters in the pride. They can be seen leaping, rolling, and gently biting. This type of play builds strength and family bonds. Only slightly smaller than the Siberian tiger, the lion is the second largest big cat, with a muscular, deep-chested body, short, rounded head, round ears, and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail.
Unlike all other big cats that are solitary hunters, lions are social animals and live together in prides. Male lions can grow up to 10 feet in length and weigh up to pounds, while female lions can grow to a length of 9 feet and weigh up to pounds.
To see lions in great numbers today, you must take a safari to eastern or southern Africa. But fossils and historical records show that lions once roamed across Egypt and northern Africa. Lions were also once found in Europe across most of Greece, Bulgaria and their neighboring countries. Today, the only country outside of Africa that has wild lions is India, with a very small population surviving in and around the Gir National Park.
Did You Know? Lions could once be found in Europe! Most lions spend all their time on the ground, but in some parks across Africa they have learned to climb trees. Compared to leopards, they are not very graceful at climbing trees as they are not adapted for climbing. Most prides of lions do not climb trees, and big males are less likely to climb a tree because they are so heavy. The reason why lions climb or sleep in trees is to get away from pesky biting flies and insects on the ground.
It can be cooler up in a tree, and they have a higher vantage point to see if any other animals are nearby. Lions may also be forced to climb a tree temporarily to try to escape from an angered herd of buffaloes. These special tree-climbing lions are most popular in Tanzania and Uganda.
With that said, some lucky visitors to the Serengeti have seen lions in trees too. Three-quarters of African lion populations are in decline. With only around 20, in the wild, they are officially considered vulnerable of extinction.
As a traveler, you can do your part by traveling to national parks and game reserves that put resources toward protecting Africa's lions.
By booking with Lion World Travel, you can be sure that you are helping to support lion conservation in Africa.
0コメント