African Lion - Panthera leo

To most, the lion needs no introduction.  It is known as the 'King of the Jungle', and has earned its place as one of Africa's 'Big 5'.   Lions are magnificent and beautiful animals: to many the roar of a lion in the wild represents the very essence of Africa.

The lion is the only permanently social, or group-living cat: all other cats are solitary. Similarly to elephants' society, the lioness and her offspring are the focus of the lion society: female lions in a pride are usually related. Female cubs born to pride lionesses usually remain bonded for life to the group, whereas males invariably do not figure as permanent members.

SIZE: Shoulder height (m) 1.2m (f) 1.05m; weight (m) 180kg, (f) 130kg.

COLOUR:  Tawny, but varies from almost silvery yellow to reddish brown with paler undersides (female belly yellowish to almost white); yellow to black mane.  Faint, leopard like spots on young sometimes retained into adulthood. The White Lions of the Timbavati are very white!

MOST LIKE:  Unlikely to be confused with any other animal.

HABITAT:  Variety of habitats, from open savanna to semi-desert; never in forests.

DOMAIN:  Northern Namibia, Botswana, northern & southern Zimbabwe, northwestern & central Mozambique, Mpumalaga and Limpopo, The Kruger National Park, and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park of the northern Cape.

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