African lion - a strong predator that is second only to a tiger in size. Since ancient times, the power of lions has been recognized in the animal kingdom of nature. Their images on coats of arms, flags, sculptures symbolize power and strength. Unfortunately, even the king of nature today needs help, it must be protected from complete destruction by man.
Origin of view and description
Photo: African Lion
The African lion is a predatory, large mammal, a vivid representative of the panther genus from the subfamily of large cats. All lions can be divided into Asian and African, while the dimensions of individuals from the latter group are more impressive. This species evolved in Africa about 1 million years ago. On the territory of Europe in Italy, ancient minerals were found, whose age is estimated at approximately 700,000 years.
Specialists identified several subspecies of African lions:
- Barbarian lions or North African ones are distinguished by their especially large dimensions, but in the wild they no longer occur, since they were completely exterminated by man. Zoos around the world contain about a hundred Barbarian lions, but they can no longer be called purebreds;
- Masai lions, whose males are characterized by a very long mane;
- Senegalese is the smallest lion of all African ones; it is this subspecies that is most similar to the Asiatic species;
- Congolese - lives in Uganda;
- Northwestern African lions are a large subspecies with a very light color;
- Transvaal lion - also differs in impressive dimensions, long paws;
- The genetic differences between African and Asian lions are no more significant than the genetic differences between different human races.
Appearance and features
Photo: What does an African lion look like?
Representatives of this type of feline are characterized by external differences in gender. Males are distinguished by larger sizes and long lush manes, which can grow up to 40 centimeters. In some subspecies, hair grows not only on the head, but also on the neck, chest, sometimes forming one single large mane. Senegalese lions have very sparse and short hair. In all lions, the tail is decorated with a small tassel, inside of which there is a curved small bone.
The body of the lions is muscular and very flexible. Body size and weight depend on the subspecies. The maximum weight that was officially recorded was 370 kg with a body length of more than 3.6 m. The average weight of the male ranges from 180-220 kg, and the female about 130-150 kg. At the withers, females reach 80-90 cm, a little less than two meters in length, excluding the tail. The height of the males is about 120-125 cm with a trunk length of 2.5 meters.
Lions have large enough eyes that are perfectly adapted to the dark. The jaws of predatory cats are very powerful, motionless to the sides. Front large fangs are an effective weapon during the lion's hunt, they are designed to tear out pieces of flesh. Like all representatives of the cat family, lions never chew food, swallow whole pieces. The lion tongue is rough with a special tuberous coating, with the help of which the hunter separates bones from meat during the absorption of food, as well as catches ticks and fleas during washing.
The color of lions may vary slightly depending on the subspecies. There are individuals with both a milky-beige color, and with a light brown body color, almost a black mane. There are known cases of the birth of albino lions.
Now you know what the African lion looks like. Let’s see where he lives.
Where does the African lion live?
Photo: African lion in nature
About 10 thousand years ago, lions, including African ones, were the most numerous mammals after humans. Over two centuries, their habitat has declined significantly. If in the early Middle Ages all subspecies of the African lion were found almost everywhere in Africa, except for rainforests and deserts, today predators survived only south of the Sahara.
African lions live:
- in the western and northwestern parts of the African continent;
- in the southeast, east of Africa.
Interesting fact: A characteristic roar is characteristic of all four species from the cat family, but the lion’s is the most frightening and loud, reaching 115 decibels, which is comparable to the volume of a rock concert. The lion's roar is heard for 10 kilometers, its vibration is able to raise a cloud of dust.
Savannahs are the favorite habitat of predatory African cats. Sometimes these predators can move to the forest. Animals always stay close to some reservoir where ungulate mammals come to the watering place and this is the main place of their hunting.
In captivity, African lions feel good, give offspring quite easily, especially in open-air cages. With proper care and nutrition, they can live up to 20 years, which is much more than in the wild.
What does the African lion eat?
Photo: African predatory lion
African predators prey on large zebras, wildebeests, African warthogs, reptiles and a variety of small animals, including rodents, birds. Representatives of the cat family do not disdain to take prey from other smaller predators, pick up carrion.
Lions prefer to hunt in small groups at dusk and at night. They jump onto the victim from above and immediately dig into the throat, trying to bring the prey to the ground as quickly as possible. Hunting ends successfully only in half the cases. Lions do not run long distances because of their physiological characteristics - they have a very small and weak heart with respect to a large muscular body.
Sometimes lions go hungry for several days. Each day, each individual needs at least 7-9 kg of meat. They drink water willingly at every opportunity, but if it is not enough, they can do without it for up to 4-5 days, since the necessary liquid is obtained from food. Despite the fact that only females hunt mainly, males absorb food first and only then lionesses and young individuals. The eating process is always very noisy with fights and growls.
If the victim is a very large and strong male, he can join the hunt and help the lionesses. Single males who do not yet have their own pride go hunting alone, but because of their impressive mane it is not as effective as that of females, so they often choose lighter and smaller prey.
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: African Lion from the Red Book
Lionesses live longer than males. Lions at the peak of their strength are between 5 and 10 years old, after reaching the age limit of their activity, a very small part of the males survive. From other feline African lions differ in the formation of a pride or a separate family group. Pride usually consists of several mature individuals and their offspring. Young lion cubs leave the parent group when they reach puberty. They will become loners until they find a new pride with an old weak leader who, in a duel, cedes their rights to the strong and young. Some lions remain nomads all their lives.
The pride has its own rules:
- all obey the chief male;
- alien males and grown lion cubs are driven out;
- young females remain in the pride;
- males always zealously guard their territory, which is several square kilometers;
- females are the main value of males;
- family ties are the basis of pride relationships.
African lions are most active after sunset. Going on a hunt, females leave a “nanny” with kittens. During the day, lions mostly rest, males go around and mark their territory. A male who has his own pride is forced to constantly drive other males away from his females. Fierce fights occur very often. Even if the head of the pride did not die in the fray, but was kicked out, then most likely he was doomed to die either because of wounds received in a skirmish or because of starvation.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: African Lion Cub
Unlike other mammals, lions mate at any time of the year and that is why quite often you can see a female with cubs of different ages. By 3-4 years, lionesses become able to bring offspring. Lions are polygamous and a male can mate with several females from his pride in order to leave as many offspring as possible and pass on his genes.
Pregnancy lasts about four months. With the approach of an important period, the female retires to give birth to lion cubs. The lioness hides the kittens that were born for six weeks, and only then leads to the pride.
Usually 3-4 lion cubs are born. At birth, they weigh no more than 1.5 kg. Kids open their eyes after 10-11 days, and only after a couple of weeks they begin to walk. Lionesses in the pride give birth almost simultaneously, they all feed the newborn lion cubs, take care of them, forming a kind of nursery. Only a year later, the kids join the hunt, learn from adults. Up to two years, young males are protected by the main lion, and then they are expelled.
Interesting fact: If the former head of the lion family was defeated by another male, then the newly arrived lion immediately kills all the lion cubs so that the females are ready for mating as early as possible. Males kill lioness very rarely. In the wild, there have been times when lionesses helped their main male drive off young singles.
Natural Enemies of African Lions
Photo: Female African Lion
Adult African lions have virtually no enemies among animals. Sometimes they can be injured during the hunt, because of which they lose the ability to get food. If a single male was injured, then most likely he will die of hunger, and if it is a lion from a pride or a lioness, then other family members will take care of them. Adult individuals of the African lion are wary of only large crocodiles, since in front of them predatory cats are powerless.
Lions quite often die in the jaws of males, are attacked by other predators. Hyenas are capable of killing young individuals or wounded and sick adult lions. In prides, sometimes epidemics of dangerous diseases begin, which can destroy several individuals at once or even the whole family. The carriers of the infection are blood-sucking parasites.
Poaching is a major threat to African lions. They fall into the set traps of hunters, they are killed from a firearm during a safari. Some tourists have a great desire to get a hunting trophy in the form of a lion's skin.
Interesting fact: In ancient times, lions were found throughout Europe, the Caucasus, almost throughout Asia. Over time, they were all exterminated by hunters.
Population and species status
Photo: What does an African lion look like?
In the natural habitat, today there are 50,000 African lions, in zoos - about 2,000 individuals. The African lion was introduced into the Red Book by the international convention as an endangered species. The North African subspecies has already been completely exterminated by humans and can only be found in zoos.
According to available data, in the 60s of the last century, poachers killed about 20 thousand African lions in the Serengeti park. In six countries on the African continent, trophy hunting of these graceful animals is permitted. Hunters from all over the world rush into the savannah, not thinking about how much damage they cause to the lion population.
Despite the fact that lions do not hunt people under ordinary conditions, sometimes there are human casualties. On the African continent, about a hundred people die every year through the fault of predatory cats, usually sick or old males, to whom other prey becomes inaccessible, usually attack. This fact additionally provokes an aggressive reaction of the local population to the lion prides, their shooting.
An interesting fact: The number of prides of African lions is usually 15 individuals along with cubs, but can reach up to 40 individuals. In Asian lions, prides are divided into male and female, and sexually mature individuals contact only during the mating season.
African Lion Guard
Photo: African Lion from the Red Book
The creation of national parks and reserves contributes to the conservation of African lions. The most significant are national parks in Tanzania, Namibia, Kruger Park in South Africa. Outside the borders of these territories, lions are quite often destroyed by people due to the fact that they drag livestock. The closer the village is to the habitats of predatory cats, the more individuals are shot.
The main negative factors affecting the population:
- changing of the climate;
- various diseases and human activities;
- loss of habitat;
- conflicts with a person.
Individuals in western Africa are practically isolated from the Central African lion population and almost do not interbreed with each other. Geographical isolation can lead to a dramatic reduction in genetic diversity. To prevent this and rejuvenate the gene pool, scientists use methods of artificial insemination. Such a process is very laborious and complex, but there is no other way out yet. The practice of introducing individual individuals from another population into new prides. Conflicts between individuals usually do not arise.
African lion quite successfully bred in artificial conditions, but according to experts, he has long been not purebred. Since childhood, every person knows what a lion looks like and already by a chic mane a child recognizes the mighty king of animals. Now the fate of this graceful animal depends entirely on human actions. Time will tell whether the population of the African lion will be preserved or whether it can be seen only in the picture in the textbook, in the zoo.
