There is a saying in hindi that “cat is the aunt of the lion”. it is not known how true it is, but the fact is that the lion is actually a member of the cat family.
Thes scientific family name of cats is called Felidae and it includes all species of lions, leopards, tigers, jaguars, wild and domestic cats. lion is the second largest cat in the family, measuring 10 feet in length and weighing weighing 496 lbs to 551 lbs (225 to 250 kilograms). The first big cat is Tiger which can grow up to 13 feet.
The Lion as King of the Jungle: This is not true because the lion does not actually live in dense jungle. It is a player of open fields of dry and green grass lands (Savannahs). It has two species found in Africa and India. The species found in Africa is called the African lion and the one found in India is called the Asiatic Lion which is endangered. There are about 20,000 African lions, most of them in Tanzania (15,000), and only 500 Asiatic lions left in India.
Physical condition: The female is slightly shorter than the lion and weighs less. Lions have dark golden and brown hairs (mane) around their necks. mane protects his neck from being attacked by other lions so that they do not suffocate in fight. Secondly, the lion whose mane is thicker and darker will be considered the healthiest and bravest and all the lioness will be attracted towards him. The tip of the lion’s tail is called tuft. Experts still do not understand why it is there.The small teeth in front of the lion’s mouth are called incisors used to tear meat from bones and to lift babies, the four long pointed teeth are called canines and they are used for hunting while the hind teeth are for chewing meat. lion’s tongue is also very rough like sandpaper. If it licks a person, the skin can come off. The lion’s roar is so high that it can be heard from a distance of 8 km.
Lion as a hunter: u may see in TV how easy lion is grabbing its prey but the fact is it is not a good hunter at all, only 30 out of 100 times it succeeds and most of the time the prey runs away. Its jaw strength is 650 Psi (a measurement of pressure) which is lower than that of many other animals. Therefore, it works by squeezing the prey’s neck with its jaw as much as possible, cutting or closing its trachea so that it dies. Its claw nails are very sharp and curved so that it sticks to its prey’s body until it falls. Usually the females hunt and they hunt in groups. male lions only prey when wether the prey is big (e.g. elephant, giraffe or hippo) or the prey is giving tough time to females.
Lion is a nocturnal animal, meaning it hunts at night. His eyes are eight times more powerful than a man. Many females attack together to hunt, while the lion takes care of the young in its home. Lion urinates on some parts of the dry grass fields to make border lines in its territory.
Social life: Lions are very famous for their social life. This is the only family of cats that lives in groups. This group is called Pride. A Pride can have 10 to 50 lions in which some males have more females and cubs. They lick and nuzzle each other to show love and strong social bond.
Breeding: Lions mate once every two years. This process takes place every 20 to 30 minutes in a day and a lion can go through this process fifty times in a day. The female gives birth to two to six babies after about four months. And couples don’t reunite until the babies turn young. Females conceive and give birth at the same time in order to form groups. They also breastfeed and protect each other’s babies. By the age of three, children are completely young and are sometimes expelled from their group to form another group.
The lions hug each other so that they can smell each other. This is how they identify their group. Often when the other groups pass by, there is a fight. The male lions that have been taken out, when they go to another group, they compete with the lions there and show their strength. So that they can carry their generation forward. However, they know that the female will not mate in the presence of children. Lions also famous for infanticide, means they often kill other group’s babies in order to mate females. Lion often tries to terrorize its female, which is also reprimanded, but often two or four females snatch him from his neck and hold it down until it starts behaving.
In a marital dispute at indianapolis zoo in USA, Lion was killed by his female.
In most zoos, the combination of male lion and female tiger (similar to mule breeding) produces an animal called a Liger. It is three feet taller than a normal lion.
Is there a lion predator?
This animal has no predator and that is what makes it the king of its territory. However, while hunting, it often falls prey to the horns of other animals, especially to the strong jaws of hippo, which can kill the lion. It has been further destroyed by human beings who have restricted its natural habitat in terms of construction on grasslands, which has led to its extinction.
How to avoid a lion attack?
when you see a lion, Never run or climb a tree, it can run four times faster than you, climb a tree and even feel that you are scared. Understand the body language first. If it is sitting on the ground with one claw upside down then it has no intention of hunting. You are safe! If he is Growling, wagging its tail to the right or left. It is feeling threatened by you. Don’t run away but slowly retreat. But if he is constant standing and staring at you, its tail has also hardened and it has started running towards you, then you should shake your arm loudly in the air and curse loudly. Yes ! Experts say that swearing makes the human voice so rough that it forces the lion to retreat psychologically. if that doesnt work, u done!
lion sleeps 16 to 20 hours, meaning it only wakes up at meal time. You must know countless such lions 😀 , share this blog link with them.
