Zagreb Zoo

Names of our animals: Kongo, Kigali, Ayana, Nyota

Classification
Class: mammals (Mammalia)
Order: carnivores (Carnivora)
Family: cats (Felidae)

Description
Body length: 2,4 – 3,3 m; height: females about 1,1 m, males about 1,2 m; weight: females around 125 kg, males 180 - 270 kg. Males have mane – their head and neck have thick, long fur.

Distribution
Africa, south of he Sahara desert.

Habitat
Mainly savannah but also shrubs, semideserts and mountain slopes.

Diet
In the wild: large herbivores, most often zebras and antelopes.
In captivity: beef.

Reproduction
After the gestation period of around 3,5 months, the female gives birth to 1 – 6 cubs that weigh 1 – 2 kg. The female hides the cubs from the rest of the pack until they are about 8 weeks old. The cubs open their eyes after 11 days, they can walk after 15 days and run at 1 month old. The female takes care of the cubs for a period of 7 – 10 months, but the young stay dependent on the pack up to 16 months old.

Behaviour
They live in groups of 2 – 40 individuals, that we call a pride. The core of the pride is made up of related females that share the territory of their mother. Their territory can be as big as 20 – 400 km2. There can be one or two males in a pack. Every couple of years a new younger male kicks the older one out and takes over the pride. Other males live solitary lives and roam a lot. Many members of the pack take part in hunting but the prey is killed by only one member.

Predators
No natural predators.

Life span
In the wild up to 18 years.
In captivity up to 30 years.

Conservation status
Lions have been extinct in northern and southern Africa, while in Western Africa their numbers have significantly fallen. In many countries they live only in protected areas. They are endangered due to loss of habitat, lack of food and hunting.
IUCN category: VU (vulnerable species)

Interesting facts
► The new male that takes over the pride sometimes kills the cubs of his predecessor.
► Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) lives in India and is at the brink of extinction – less than 200 lions are left, only in one national park (Gir Forest).

Links

African Lion Working Group
ARKive - Lion images

Adopted by
     Josip Orešković
     Jasna Ružić Wagnes
     Marija Pavlić
     OŠ Ksaver Šandor Gjalski, 2.b razred  (2010/2011)