Lion

Love animals? You’d love our magazine! Ask your parents to check out Nat Geo Kids magazine! (AD) 3. A female lion needs 5kg of meat a day. A male needs 7kg or more a day. 4. The name for a baby lion is a cub, whelp or lionet. 5. Lions go on the hunt for food mostly from dusk till dawn.Female lions do 85-90% of the prides hunting, whilst the male lions patrol the territory and protect the pride. Did you know we have a FREE downloadable Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike! 6. In the wild, lions live for an average of 12 years and up to 16 years. They live up to 25 years in captivity. 7.Often known as the ‘king of the jungle’, most lions actually live in the savannah or grasslands. Just one population of wild forest-dwelling lions remains, in Gir Forest National Park, India. 8. Female lions reach two-thirds of their adult size by the time they are two years old. 9. Lions run at a speed of up to 81kmph. 10. Lions hunt large animals such as zebra and wildebeest. WORDS: ELLEN MORGAN. PICTURES: GETTY IMAGES UK What did you make of our lion facts? Roarsome, right? Let us know by leaving a comment, below! Images ⓒ Getty Images: Lion profile, (103361189)

“There are few sounds as evocative and exhilarating as a lion roaring his challenge into the African night; triggering in us all a primordial reaction of fear and awe. Lions are essential players in Africa’s wild spaces, ruthlessly executing the role of an apex predator and so helping maintain biodiversity and ecosystems, which change fundamentally when lions are removed from them. “Unfortunately, lions compete with livestock farmers for access to land and resources and suffer fatal consequences. They also have to make do with reducing suitable habitat and with less available natural prey, as man increases his footprint. And, to top it all off, trophy hunters surgically remove the remaining large male lions from vast unfenced areas and as they migrate (or are lured) out of conservation areas. These 14 lions (12 in photo and two bringing up the rear) strolled determinedly past the photographer in the Serengeti. It was peak dry season, and the prides were hanging in for the rains and the arriving herds of wildebeest © Simon Espley “And, the commercial exploitation and commoditisation of lions continue unabated, with a small band of ruthless and opportunistic South Africans, reducing them to factory farm products. Increasing numbers of tiny cubs born in captivity are taken from their mothers after a few days – to be Lionesses in the rain at Kampersboom waterhole in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa © Willem Kruger “To add to the confusing din surrounding lions is...

Lion Profile The Lion (Panthera leo) is the second largest cat in the world, following the They inhabit the grasslands and savannahs in Sub-Saharan Africa, and there is a critically endangered population in a small section of India. Lion Facts Overview Habitat: Savannas, Grasslands, Scrub, Open Woodlands Location: sub-Saharan Africa – Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Central African Republic & South Sudan Lifespan: 10 – 15 Years Size: 4.6 – 8.2 ft (1.4 to 2.5 m) Weight: 265 – 550 pounds (120 – 250 kg) Color: Tawny Brown, & White (A Rare Morph) Diet: Zebras, Giraffes, Wild Pigs, Cape Buffalo, Antelope, Wildebeests Predators: Hyenas, Leopards (When Cubs) Top Speed: 80 Kph (50 Mph) No. of Species: 1 Conservation Status: Vulnerable The lion is visibly different from most other cats in that they have a muscular, deep chest with a short but rounded head. The neck is reduced and they have rounded ears plus a hairy tuft at the end of their tails. The male is easy to distinguish from the female, as they have a prominent mane. Lions are diurnal, which means they typically hunt during the day, but they can adapt and hunt at night if necessary. The lion has few predators, although man is reducing the habitat they require on a regular basis, which has put the lion on the vulnerable list of the IUCN. This means that their natural habitat is shrinking along with their numbers. They are slowly moving into the territory identified as endangered. Interesting Lion Facts 1. African lio...

Description The mountain lion—also known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamount—is a large cat species native to the Americas. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. Mountain lions vary hugely in average body size depending on geographic location—their size is smallest closer to the equator and largest closer to the poles. Generally, though, males weigh between 115 and 220 pounds (52 and 100 kilograms) and females weigh between 64 and 141 pounds (29 and 64 kilograms). Range The mountain lion’s range spreads all across the Americas, from the Canadian Yukon to The Strait of Magellan, the greatest of range of any living mammal in the Americas. Mountain lions inhabit a wide range of ecosystems, making their home anywhere there is shelter and prey, including mountains, forests, deserts, and wetlands. They are territorial and have naturally low population densities, which means the species requires large swaths of wilderness habitat to thrive. Diet Mountain lions are stealthy predators, hunting at night and often lying in wait for prey or silently stalking it before pouncing from behind and delivering a lethal bite to the spinal cord. Typically they prey on deer, but also feed on smaller animals, even insects, when necessary. Like all cats, mountain lions are strict carnivores, and they only rarely consume vege...