Lion: King of the jungle

I bet many of us have read about lions in stories where they are called King of the jungle. Ever wondered why they are called so? It’s because they are one of the strongest and most fierce predators.

A male is called a lion, a female is a lioness and their young are cubs. Lions are native to Africa and North West India.

Lions are the second biggest cats in the world belonging to the cat family; actually they are the only cats that live in groups.

A group of lions is called a Pride. A pride is a family unit composed of three male lions, many females with their young. Male lions grow mane which is the long hair that grows around their heads and back.

Male lions always protect their pride’s territory which may include 100 squares of grasslands, scrubs or open woodlands.
The lions mark their boundaries with urine and roar very loudly to warn intruders against approaching their territories. Lionesses do not grow mane and their role is to hunt for food to feed the pride.

They are carnivorous animals which can run up to 80 kilometers per hour as they actively hunt for fresh meat. Lionesses usually hunt during the night hours.

As they age, the male lions move out of the pride and form new ones leaving the females behind. A lion’s life span is about 15 years.

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