Habitats of lions in the modern world. Lion (Panthera leo)Eng. Lion Lion animal briefly about him

The lion is one of the large predatory animals belonging to the cat family. There are several varieties of this animal, in addition to this, many hybrids are known that appeared from mixing different species. Each of them differs in certain features, but also has similarities. The local population of the lands, which are located near the habitat of the beast, calls it a "wild cat" and considers it dangerous, trying to destroy it. Because of this, the population of these animals has been greatly reduced. Meanwhile, the lion is an interesting and peculiar animal, so you should know how it differs from other representatives of the fauna.

Leo - characteristics and description

When characterizing an animal such as a lion, you need to provide a description of it. Different species are slightly different from each other, but they have a lot in common.

The animal belongs to the cat family, therefore, in its appearance it is similar to domestic cats, only much larger than them. It is one of the largest representatives of this family, second only to the tiger.

The body of the beast is flexible and mobile, they have well-developed muscles of the front paws and neck. On the paws there are claws, the length of which reaches 7 cm. Its head is large, with an elongated muzzle and strong jaws. His fangs are long (about 8 cm), the number of teeth is 30 pcs. These features give the lion the ability to prey on large herbivores. The tongue is covered with tubercles, thanks to which the lion can clean its fur from dirt and eliminate insects.

On the muzzle there are whiskers, at the base of which there are small dark spots. These spots form a pattern that is unique to each animal. Cubs are born spotted, but as they grow older, the spots disappear from their body, and the color of the coat becomes uniform - brown or sandy. At the tip of the tail of the beast is a black tassel.

The main feature of this animal species is sexual dimorphism. The male lion and the lioness have significant differences. For example, it is impossible to say how much a lion weighs on average without knowing the sex of a particular individual. Males significantly outnumber females in size and weight. In addition, their head is decorated with a mane, which begins to grow in lion cubs from the age of 6 months. The length of the pile and the density of the mane depend on the age and characteristics of genetics.

How much does a lion weigh?

How much an adult lion weighs on average depends on the characteristics of his life. But gender has a particular effect on this indicator. Differences in the main parameters are shown in the table.

Despite its massiveness, this predator has the smallest heart size. Therefore, the lion cannot be called hardy. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km / h, but only covers short distances.

Features of life and habitat

Giving a description of any animal, you need to consider not only it appearance. It is also worth finding out how long a lion lives and where he lives.

There are few places where such an animal as a lion lives. AT last years its distribution area has been significantly reduced. Previously, this beast was found not only in Africa and India, as it is now, but also in Iran, Russia, southern Europe and the Middle East. But a significant part of the population was exterminated, and the conditions in many areas became unsuitable for their life. Therefore, of all the places where these animals could be seen before, now the lion lives only in the southern part of the African continent (beyond the Sahara desert) and in the Indian state of Gujarat. The most suitable for them are savannas, forests or shrubs.

Individuals unite in small flocks - prides. The pride consists of 5 or 6 females, between which there are kinship, their cubs and male. In some prides, there may be two males if they are brothers. Young males, having reached maturity, leave the pride (they are expelled). They have the opportunity to join another pride or create their own. Some of them lead a solitary life.

How much a lioness or male lion weighs depends on the characteristics of their diet. Since the lion is a predator, he leads a hunting lifestyle, eating rather large animals. They may be:

In rare cases, the animal may attack a hippopotamus or a small elephant. Also, sick cheetahs, hyenas and leopards can become its prey.

Lionesses excel in hunting. They are distinguished by dexterity and agility. Hunting is more difficult for males due to their large size and heavy mane. However, the male needs more food. An adult lion eats about 7 kg of meat per day, while 5 kg is enough for a female. These animals prefer to hunt at night, sneaking up to the victim at the maximum distance.

Reproduction in lions is not tied to the season, but it begins with the achievement of maturity. Males are considered sexually mature at the age of 6 years and females at the age of 4 years.

Males tend to fight for females. Sometimes these fights are so brutal that the competitor dies.

The duration of pregnancy in these animals is 110 days. Shortly before giving birth, the lioness leaves the pride and hides. She can give birth to 1-4 cubs, whose weight is slightly less than 2 kg. Lion cubs are born blind, and they open their eyes only 7 days after birth. For safety reasons, the mother changes her place of residence several times, carrying her children with her. She hunts and feeds the babies with milk. Training of cubs to hunt begins at the age of 1.5 months, at the same time the whole family joins the pride. With the onset of hunting, lion cubs gradually eat meat, although the period of milk feeding lasts about six months.

Lion life span

One of the important aspects of describing these animals is the question of how long a lion lives. To answer it, you need to take into account a lot of circumstances. How long a lion lives depends on features such as:

• Habitat. How better conditions life, the longer its duration.
• Closeness to people. In close proximity to humans, the risk of exterminating these animals and shortening their lives increases.
• Features of life. Lonely individuals live less than those that belong to the pride.
• Floor. The life expectancy of females is on average longer than that of males, since they have less risk of dying during fights with other lions.

All these nuances affect how long a lion lives. Therefore, their life expectancy varies greatly. On average, it is 8-10 years. Some individuals live up to 14 years.

How long a lion lives is greatly influenced by the behavior of people. It has a much greater impact than other factors. If people do not seek to destroy these animals, then the duration of their life increases. Better results can be achieved if living conditions suitable for animals are organized, for example, reserves or zoos. In this case, the lions can live 20 or even 25 years, as they are monitored by veterinarians.

types of lions

How long a lion lives also depends on the variety of this animal. There are several subspecies of the lion, each of which differs in certain features, habitat, living conditions and its duration. Some subspecies of this animal have already become extinct, others are at the stage of extinction. There are also several hybrid varieties that have appeared as a result of crossing with tigers, leopards or jaguars.

Scientists distinguish 8 main subspecies, one of which is the Asiatic lion. Another name for the subspecies is the Persian lion (or Indian). The Asian lion lives in the southern part of Eurasia. Its main habitat is the Gir Reserve in the Indian state of Gujarat. The Asian lion is considered an endangered species. This subspecies is characterized by squat. Males are slightly over a meter tall. Due to the sleek and sparse mane, the Asiatic lion does not seem as large as the representatives of the African subspecies. The body weight of males is from 160 to 190 kg, lionesses usually weigh 90-120 kg. Body length - 2 - 2.5 m. The largest Asian lion has a length of 2.92 m.

The remaining species are found in Africa, which is why they can all be attributed to the African lion subspecies. They are characterized by certain common features, for example, sexual dimorphism, coat color, features of life and reproduction, and so on. Differences can be in size and body weight.

• Barbary. This subspecies is the largest. Previously, he settled throughout the African continent, but is now completely exterminated. Male individuals had a mass of up to 270 kg, females - up to 170. At present, descendants of these animals can be seen in zoos and reserves, but they cannot be called purebred.

• Senegalese. This is also an African lion that lives in the west of the continent. The size of these animals is small, the color of the coat is light. Males have almost no mane, or it is very short. You can meet representatives of this subspecies in Nigeria, Guinea and Senegal. Senegal lions are considered endangered.

• Northern Congolese. He owns everything external features that distinguishes the African lion. Its habitat is the savannas in the northeast of the Congo. The population of these animals is gradually decreasing.

• Masai. Otherwise it is called East African. It differs from other varieties in longer legs. Their mane is directed backwards. The body length of the male is 2.5-3 m, females - 2.3-2.6 m. These animals inhabit Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique. A large number of Masai lions are kept in the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya.

• Katangese. This species is on the verge of extinction. The bulk of it lives in southwestern Africa (Zimbabwe, Angola). In length, adult males reach 3.1 m, females - 2.65 m.

• Transvaal. These are lions with black manes. Among the representatives of this subspecies there are individuals on the skin and wool of which there are no melanocytes. Because of this, they have white coats and pink skin. A lion in length can be from 2.6 to 3.2 m, a lioness - 2.35-2.65 m. Transvaal lions live in southern Africa (Kalahari desert). They also contain national park Kruger.

• Cape. This species of animals was destroyed in the 19th century. They lived at the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). A feature of the species was the black tips of the ears and the presence of a mane on the stomach and shoulders.

This classification is not the only one. There are others to which other subspecies can be added by scientists.

Notable is such a variety of these animals as a mountain lion. It is not very similar to its other relatives, it differs in size and habitat. The mountain lion is common in America. Its body length ranges from 1 to 1.8 m, weight can reach 105 kg. This is significantly less than that of other subspecies. Also, the mountain lion is devoid of a mane. Coloration can vary from gray-brown to brown-yellow. Cougar cubs are born with dark spots and stripes on the body, but after 9 months of life, these marks begin to fade. The mountain lion prefers to live alone. The exception is the mating season and the time of rearing the cubs.

Another subspecies that might be of interest is the cave lion. It is included in some classifications, despite the fact that the cave lion is an extinct species, and it became extinct several millennia ago. During their lifetime, these animals inhabited Siberia and Europe. The cave lion is one of the progenitors modern lions. In size, the cave lion surpassed its descendants. According to the images of these animals, they did not have a mane, or it was very small. It is not known exactly, but there is an assumption that this subspecies of animals also united in prides.

Despite the name, the cave lion has never lived in caves. They were chosen by old and sick individuals shortly before death, which is why the largest number of remains of these animals were found there. Therefore, the cave lion was so named. The cave lion hunted deer and bears. This scientists explain the extinction of these animals. With the onset of warming, the number of bears and deer decreased, and the cave lion was not adapted to other diets.

Black and white lions

The lion is such an animal in which one can notice a lot interesting features. One feature concerns coloring. Some classifications mention varieties such as the white lion and the black lion. But this is wrong. If a lion with a dark or black mane is a real subspecies, then animals with a white or black color are considered an anomaly.

At the same time, it cannot be said that a lion with an exotic color is a fiction. There is a genetic mutation called leucism. Because of her, the fur of animals acquires White color. This is due to a lack of melanocytes. The result is the appearance of such an animal as the white lion. It can be assumed that this is an albino lion, but the color of his eyes, which can be either blue or golden, says otherwise.

The white lion almost does not differ in its characteristics from the rest of the species. It is somewhat larger than the others. Their weight can reach 310 kg, and the body length of the male exceeds 3 m. The females of such animals are slightly smaller - 2.7 m. A lion with white hair changes color slightly during life, and by old age its body acquires an ivory shade.

The black lion, according to many scientists, does not exist in nature. They consider the photos and videos of such animals found on the network to be the result of shooting at night or special processing. Some suggest that in contrast to albinism, there is a phenomenon of melanism, in which there is too much pigment in the coat of animals. This is possible in jaguars and leopards. As a result of crossing, a lion with a dark shade of wool can be born, but this is just an accident, so there is no need to single out such animals as a separate subspecies.

Representatives of the cat family. An impressive magnificent mane, a ferocious roar, a muscular huge body, a stranglehold - all this very much characterizes the powerful and strong king of the jungle. In the people of lions it is customary to call the kings of the jungle. Hence the misconception was born that these live in tropical thickets.

The weight of an adult male lion can reach 250 kg, and females 150 kg. The body length of the animal is from 2.3 m to 3.0 m.

Lion habitats

In fact, lions today can only be found in two places. the globe- in African savannah and also in India. They mostly disperse in groups that scientists call prides. These groups include about 20 individuals, of which, as a rule, no more than 4 males.

In the Middle Ages, the lion was much more extensive - the entire territory of Africa, excluding the tropics and the desert, the Middle East, Iran, part of Europe, even the southern outskirts of Russia, India. But the hunt for lion skins, wars, destroyed the predator's familiar environment. Lions have lost most of their range. In 1944, the last lion in Europe was found in Iran - he was dead.

Now in Africa, lions occupy the territory south of the famous Sahara desert. Here, in unlimited conditions of existence, animals feel more than comfortable, which contributes to their reproduction. Despite this, the population of lions is rapidly decreasing every year.

About 80% of all lions in the world live on the hottest continent of the planet - in Africa.

In India, the kings of the jungle occupy a territory in the West of the country with an area of ​​1400 sq. km. They settled in a region called the Gir Forest. Unfortunately, this population of felines is quite small - about 360 individuals. The sad statistics forced the country's government to protect the lions and do everything to prevent the decline in the wild cat population. And this played a positive role: according to the latest data, the size of the group began to slowly grow.

Savannah is considered a favorite place where lions prefer to live, but often they settle in areas with an abundance of shrubs, in forests. Important for lions is the presence in the settlement area of ​​a special type of acacia. It is this plant that protects flocks from the scorching sun, and also saves from heat and sunstroke. In dense moist forests And lions do not live in waterless deserts.

Ecology

Main:

Known for being some of the only truly social cats, lions prefer to lead a nomadic lifestyle and live in groups called prides, and leadership in these groups is mainly held by females.

Lions have golden fur, while males have a shaggy mane that varies in color from light to reddish or even black. Coat color depends on the lion's age, genetics and hormone levels.

Adult male lions can reach a length of up to 3 meters and usually weigh between 150 and 250 kilograms, while females are slightly smaller in size - a maximum of 2.7 meters in length and weigh about 120-180 kilograms. The tail of a lion can reach a length of 0.6-1 meter. Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African relatives.

The body of a lion is ideally suited for hunting: they are strong and fit, have powerful front legs and jaws that help them kill prey.

Lions mainly feed on large animals, such as zebras and wildebeests. They do not disdain to take prey from other predators - hyenas and leopards. The most important hunters of the pride are females.

Lionesses mate every 2 years and can give birth to 1 to 6 cubs at once 3.5 months after conception. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of lion cubs die in their first year of life. Pride females help each other care for their offspring.

AT wild nature male lions live an average of 12 years, and females 15 years. In the zoo, lions can live longer - more than 20 years.

Up to 40 lions can live in a pride, including adult females, juvenile lions (2-4 years old) and 1-2 adult males. Females remain in their mother's pride for life unless food shortages cause the pride to split. Males are driven out of the pride when they get old in order to compete with younger rivals.

Males travel first with the whole group, which consists of his relatives, and then look for another pride to join. Usually males live in one pride for 2-3 years.

Males and females mark their territories with urine, and also drive away rivals with their menacing roar.

Where do they live?

Once upon a time, lions lived throughout Europe, Africa and North America, but today they can be found mainly in Africa - from the southern edge of the Sahara desert to the northern part of South Africa. The habitat is savannas.

A small population of lions - about 300 individuals - lives in the Gir forest in western India.

Guard status: the African lion is vulnerable, the Asiatic lion is critically endangered

Lion populations are suffering from human prey and territory taking, and lions are threatened by diseases that can be transmitted from domestic dogs in neighboring villages.

Over the past 2 decades, the lion population in Africa has halved for various reasons, including the punitive measures of farmers: lions encroach on livestock.

Human intervention in the habitat of Asiatic lions has endangered their population in the Gir forest.

The closest relatives of lions are tigers, with which lions can interbreed in captivity. As a result, hybrids of these cats are born - a liger and a tiger.

Lions are the second largest cat in terms of size (after tigers).

The menacing roar of a lion can be heard for 8 kilometers in the savannah.

The lion's mane helps the lion defend itself during fights.

Lions can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, chasing prey, although they can cover short distances. The lion's jump reaches 11 meters.

Asiatic lions have a more sparse mane than their African relatives, and they have a characteristic skin fold on their abdomen. The ears of African lions are hidden in the mane, while those of Asiatic lions stick out of the mane.

During the mating season, lions may mate 20-40 times a day.

How many years do lions live? To understand this issue, you need to understand what this predator is, in what conditions it exists, and also on what factors the duration of its life depends.

King of beasts

The lion is a large feline mammal. Everyone knows that this predator is called To understand why the ancient peoples called it that, it is enough to look at how this animal lies. The lion always retains a powerful, one would like to say - regal, posture. A chic mane makes his appearance even more majestic.

The weight of the male is about 200 kilograms, it reaches a length of 2.8 m (by the way, as many as 90 centimeters fall on a beautiful tail). The lionesses are slightly smaller. Their weight is 140 kilograms, and the body length reaches 2.5 meters. Females, unlike males, do not have a mane.

A lion can knock down a zebra weighing about three hundred kilograms with one stroke of its paw (!) It cannot be said that the ones we are considering are good jumpers.

Habits and habits

Lions live and hunt in packs (another name is pride). Predators feed on zebras, giraffes, rodents, hares and antelopes, it happens that they sometimes eat carrion. On rare occasions, lions attack buffaloes, elephants, and rhinos. Moreover, they hunt, as a rule, and lions guard the prey. It is not uncommon for these wild cats to take food from small predators.

After the "meal" the lions rest in the shade or on the branches. Yes, they are great at climbing trees! Thanks to their claws, they can climb to a height of about six meters. Note that lions are still dormice! The duration of their sleep is more than twenty hours a day. But even when the male sleeps, he hears everything. necessary to save the offspring and the lioness.

These predators may not drink for a long period, since the liquid contained in the eaten animal is enough for them. At a time, one such animal is able to eat up to forty kilograms of meat, then it will wait a week until the food is digested, and then you can go hunting again. Of course, in this situation, one should not be surprised to hear that lions can go without food for a long time.

Scientists have concluded that a lion's age is fifteen, but this is not always the case. Unfortunately, many predators die much earlier.

At the age of two, they enter puberty. Mating takes place all 12 months of the year. Pregnancy of the female lasts 110 days. In one offspring, from two to five cubs are born. The female can bring offspring every two years. It happens that the lioness does not let the male near the cubs, as she fears for their lives.

The cubs spend the first three months of their lives only with their mother, away from the group. When a cub is born, it resembles a domestic cat in size. A reliable camouflage for babies is spotted wool. Young mothers very often unite, organizing a kind of nursery, where they collect all their offspring. Having given the cubs under the care of one lioness, the rest of the mothers can safely hunt, knowing that the babies are protected. Grown up lion cubs are already taken with them to hunt, in order to teach them to track down prey, and then kill. At two or three years, males already grow a mane. This is the time when the strongest kicks the weaker ones out of the pack. At the age of five, a lone lion tries to create his own pride.

Specifically about age

So, the lion ... How long does this proud handsome man live? Its life expectancy depends on many factors. For example, how many years do lions live in the wild? In the wild, these predators face a lot of dangers, but their main enemy is man. Due to the raids of hyenas and poachers, as well as due to adverse conditions, the life expectancy of a lion in natural conditions small - about eight years. But this time is enough to mature, as well as leave offspring.

Note that females live several years longer. Probably due to the fact that they do not have to defend the territory in the fight against strangers.

Life in the reserves

How many years do lions live in reserves? In this zone, their life is longer, since the animals are protected from poachers. Here predators live up to fourteen years, which is almost twice as long as in the wild.

How long do lions live in a zoo?

Almost all zoos have created ideal conditions for big cats (if we talk about safety). In such places, lions live for more than twenty years, being under the close attention of workers and veterinarians. There was a long-lived lion in Germany, he lived in the zoo until he was 29 years old.

So we got to know these noble animals better. And if your child, after watching the cartoon about Simba once again, takes an interest in the life expectancy of these representatives, you will surely be able to tell the baby how long lions live in the wild, in the zoo and reserve.

A lion ( panthera leo ) - an animal of the class mammals, such as chordates, carnivores, the cat family, the panther genus, the subfamily of Big cats.

Aboriginal people living side by side with the lion called the predatory lion "wild cat". The lion received its modern name, consonant in many languages, in the 18th century from the Latin word leo.

Description of the lion, appearance, characteristics, photos of the animal

Of the currently existing wild cats, the lion is second in size only to the tiger. An adult male lion weighs an average of up to 250 kg with a body length of 2.5 m. The flexible, mobile body of a lion has well-developed muscles of the neck and front paws. The claws of a lion reach 7 cm in length.

The massive head of a lion with an elongated muzzle is endowed with strong jaws. The lion has 30 teeth, fangs up to 8 cm in size allow him to successfully hunt large animals: roe deer, wild boars, zebras and antelopes.

The tongue, covered with tubercles, helps to quickly get rid of blood-sucking insects and care for the coat.

On the muzzle of a lion there are several rows of whiskers with dark spots at the base, forming a pattern unique to each individual. Newborn lion cubs are spotted, like leopards, but the spots disappear at sexual maturity. The color of the lion's coat can be sandy, brown or with a red tint. The tail ends in a spectacular black tassel.

Some individuals inside the brush have a "spur" - a fused vertebral ending.

A peculiar difference between lions is the exceptional sexual dimorphism. Male lions are much larger in size than females and are endowed with a luxurious mane that appears already in six-month-old lion cubs. By the age of three, the pile on the lion's mane grows to 35-40 cm. Color, length and splendor depend on genetics, habitat and the amount of testosterone. Old seasoned lions have the thickest and shaggy mane.

It will seem surprising, but lions are animals that have the smallest heart among large predators. That is why they do not differ in special endurance, although when running short distances, lions reach speeds of up to 80 km / h. Under natural conditions, lions live 12-15 years, in captivity, life expectancy increases by 5-7 years.

Types and classification of lions

The classification of lions has 8 subspecies:

• Asiatic(Persian, Indian) lion (Panthera leo persica)

distinguished by a squat body and a sleek, not too thick mane. The weight of a lion is 150-220 kg, in males from 160 to 190 kg, in females from 90 kg to 120 kg. The height of the Asian lion at the withers reaches 1.05 meters. The record length of a lion reached 2.92 meters. A little more than 500 representatives of this species of lions live in the Indian Girsky Reserve. The largest Asian lion has been recorded to be 2.92 meters long;

Asian (Persian, Indian) lion

• Barbary Lion (Panthera leo leo)

the most massive predator with a dark thick mane. The African continent was ubiquitous. Unfortunately, it was finally exterminated by man at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the descendants of the Barbary lion live in captivity, but there is no need to talk about the purebred of the species. The weight of a male lion reaches 160-270 kg, the weight of a female is 100-170 kg. It was the largest predator of all lion species;

• Senegalese (West African) lion (Panthera leo senegalensis)

Males are distinguished by a light, short mane (or lack thereof), light coat and small size. The prides of this predator are smaller, and the shape of the skull is different from other types of lions. The habitat is south of the Sahara from Senegal in the west and east to the Central African Republic. About a thousand representatives live in the savannas of Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal. This lion species is endangered;

Senegalese lion

• North Congo lion ( Panthera leo azandica)

in appearance it is similar to the rest of the African relatives. It lives in the savannahs of the northeast of the Congo. The population of this species of lions is gradually decreasing;

• East African(Masai) lion (Panthera leo nubica)

subspecies of the African lion. Males are distinguished by elongated limbs and a "combed" back mane. Male lions reach a length of 2.5 - 3 meters, including the tail. The length of lionesses with a tail is 2.3 - 2.6 meters. The weight of a male lion is 150 - 230 kg, female 100 - 165 kg. Lions and lionesses have a withers height of 90 - 115 cm. The habitat of this species of lions is Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and other states of eastern Africa, they also inhabit the Kenyan Masai Mara reserve;

• southwest african(Katangese) lion (Panthera leo bleyenberghi)

has a light color. It lives in southwestern Africa from Angola to Zimbabwe. The length of the male lion, together with the tail, is 2.5 - 3.1 meters, the length of the lioness is 2.3 - 2.65 meters. The mass of a male lion is 140-240 kg, the weight of females is 105-170 kg. An endangered species of lions, is on the verge of extinction;

• southeast african(Transvaal) lion (Panthera leo krugeri)

large individuals, males are owners of a long dark mane. In some representatives, leucism is observed - a mutation associated with the absence of melanocytes. Such exotics have white wool and pink skin. The body length of the Transvaal lion with a tail is 2.6 - 3.2 meters, the dimensions of the lioness are more modest 2.35 - 2.75 meters. The weight of the male reaches 150-250 kg, the female - 110-180 kg. More than 2 thousand lions live in the Kruger National Park, as well as in the southern part of the African mainland and in the Kalahari Desert;

• cape lion ( Panthera leo melanochaita)

A subspecies that disappeared in the 19th century. The last Cape lion was shot in 1858. These lions lived in the Cape Province at the Cape of Good Hope, which is located in southern Africa. This species of lions was distinguished by the black tips of the ears, and the mane of the lion covered the belly and shoulders of the mammal.

Extinct Cape Lion

Together with the tiger, leopard and jaguar, the lion forms the genus Panthera, whose representatives can interbreed, forming viable hybrids: ligers (tiger lions), leopons (leopard + lion) and jagullvas (jaguar + lion).

White Lion

White lions are not a subspecies, but a genetic disease called leucism, when the coat turns white. White individuals live in the Kruger National Park and in the Timbavati Reserve, which are located in the east of South Africa. Most of these animals are kept in captivity.

Occasionally, lions attack hippos and small elephants, do not bypass livestock.

Leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, alive, sick or killed by other, weaker predators, become food for lions. A lion eats about 7-8 kg of meat per day, the need for a female is less - five kilograms of meat is enough for her.

Lion - breeding in the wild

Lions breed regardless of the season. Males become sexually mature at the age of 6 years, females by 4 years. Lions arrange fierce fights for the female, often leading to the death of a competitor. The pregnancy of a lioness lasts 110 days. Before giving birth, the lioness leaves the pride, hiding in a safe place. 1-4 helpless and blind cubs weighing up to 2 kilograms are born into the world. Lion cubs' eyes open after 7 days.

In order not to attract other predators, the mother lioness transfers her offspring to another place several times and hunts not far from safely hidden babies.

Milk feeding lasts 6-7 months. At a month and a half, lion cubs are allowed to hunt, and meat feeding begins. Then the mother and cubs return to the pride.

• More than a thousand African and about a hundred Asiatic lions are today kept in captivity for the purpose of breeding, species conservation and exhibition events.
• The first mention of tamed predators dates back to the 8th century BC.
• The lion is the king of animals, a symbol of exceptional courage, strength and power in many European and Asian cultures. In heraldry, the lion personifies greatness and nobility, valor, pride and justice.