A pride
Lions live in a pride: several related females, their cubs, and one or a few males.
African savanna
Lion
Panthera leo
The only big cat that lives in a family group. The male has a thick mane; the females do most of the hunting.
- Size
- Males up to 2.5m long without the tail
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Grassland and open woodland south of the Sahara
Pads after you, then breaks into a run if you get well ahead. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Lion
Good to know
Six things about the lion
Heard five miles away
A lion's roar can carry about five miles. It tells other lions whose territory this is.
The females hunt
Lionesses do most of the hunting, working together to surround and ambush their prey.
Twenty hours of rest
Lions rest or sleep for up to twenty hours a day, saving their strength for the hunt.
What a mane says
A dark, full mane shows a male is strong and well fed. Lionesses tend to prefer males with darker manes.
Fewer every year
There are thought to be only around 20,000 to 25,000 lions left in the wild in Africa.
The real thing
Photos of the lion
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Lions rest in the shade through the heat of the day, so look under trees and on rocky outcrops. The best time to see them moving is early morning or dusk.
How to help
Lions need large, connected wild areas and enough prey. Support conservation groups that work with the herders who live alongside them.
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