The lion is still considered the “lord of the steppe” thanks to its strength and majestic appearance. Below are interesting facts about lions that you may not know.

Lions live in groups

Of all the big cats in the world, lions are the most gregarious. They live together in large groups called “herds”. The size of a flock can range from 15 to 40 animals. These herds consist of one or more adult males, a dozen or more related females, and cubs. In general, the more individuals a pride has, the stronger it is compared to rival lion prides. The females of the herd also want more males as this helps ensure the survival of the cubs.
Lions are animals with large groups

Male lions may attract attention with their majestic manes and strength, but females are the main hunters. Meanwhile, males are responsible for defending both the pride and the territory (which can be up to 260 square kilometers) from rival prides of lions and other predators. Although females do the majority of the hunting, male lions are usually allowed to eat first.

Lions don’t need to drink water every day, but they do need to eat

Lions can go four days without drinking water, but they need to eat every day. Adult female lions need to eat about 5kg of meat per day, while males need about 7kg or more. Lions mainly hunt large herbivores such as zebras, wildebeest and buffalo, but they sometimes also hunt smaller animals.

Lions are excellent predators

The lion has many physical characteristics that help it become a superior predator. For example, lions’ eyesight is six times more sensitive to light than humans, which gives them a special advantage when hunting at night. Lion claws can retract, giving them great control when they need to pounce on their prey.

When fully extended, a lion’s claws can be nearly 4cm long. Lions can also reach a maximum speed of 80km/h in a very short time and jump up to 11m high. In short, it is easy to understand why lions have the name “lord of the steppe”.

Lions do not live in the jungle

Many people often call lions “Lord of the forest” or “lord of the jungle”, but this is a mistake. Lions do not live in the forest. Instead, their main habitat is the grasslands and plains of Africa.
Not hunting, male lions are responsible for protecting members of the pride

Lions communicate in many ways

A lion’s roar can be heard up to 8km away. The roar is a warning to other animals and rival packs to stay away from the lion’s territory. But in addition to their iconic roars, lions also communicate with each other like cats do: with meows and low throaty growls.

Lions also rub their heads together as an action to bond and spread the “family smell”. This scent allows the lions of particular prides to know which individuals are members of their pride and which individuals are from another pride if a dispute arises between prides.

Female lions raise their cubs together

Lions mate every two years and female lions give birth to a litter of 2-3 cubs after a 4-month pregnancy. Females in the same herd tend to give birth at the same time, which allows them to raise a large litter together.
Female lions raise and care for their young together

This feature also has the added advantage of allowing the cubs to suckle from other mothers, making it easier to manage the cubs in the pride in the early months. So where is the father while raising his cubs? Male lions will not directly participate in raising their cubs, but they will protect the pride’s cubs from danger.

Lions are the second largest cat breed on earth

After tigers, lions are the second largest wild cat breed on earth. Male lions can grow up to 3m long and weigh up to 227kg, while female lions can grow up to 2.7m in length and weigh 179kg.

Lions are endangered

There are only about 20,000 wild lions left in Africa, a number only half of what it was 30 years ago. Some scientists predict that wild lions could face extinction by 2050 if trends continue and humans do not increase efforts to protect these powerful animals.

The main threats to lions are loss of habitat due to human encroachment, conflicts between lion prides or poaching.