The Nile Basin is the part of Africa drained by the Nile River and its tributaries .
102-599: Panthera leo leo is a lion subspecies present in West Africa , northern Central Africa and India . In West and Central Africa it is restricted to fragmented and isolated populations with a declining trajectory. It has been referred to as the northern lion . Results of a phylogeographic study indicate that lion populations in West and Central African range countries are genetically close to populations in India, forming
204-477: A Lion Conservation Strategy was developed for West and Central Africa. Contemporary lion distribution and habitat quality in savannahs of West and Central Africa was assessed in 2005, and Lion Conservation Units (LCU) mapped. Educated guesses for size of populations in these LCUs ranged from 3,274 to 3,909 individuals between 2002 and 2012. The last populations of the West African lion clade are surviving in
306-907: A black tail tuft. Average head-to-body length of male lions is 2.47–2.84 m (8 ft 1 in – 9 ft 4 in) with a weight of 148.2–190.9 kg (327–421 lb). Females are smaller and less heavy. Zoological lion specimens range in colour from light to dark tawny. Male skins have short manes, light manes, dark manes or long manes. Taxonomists recognised that neither skin nor mane colour and length of lions can be adduced as distinct subspecific characteristics. Then they turned to measuring and comparing lion skulls and found that skull length of Barbary and Indian lion samples does not differ significantly, ranging from 28–31.17 cm (11.02–12.27 in) in females and 33.8–36.2 cm (13.3–14.3 in) in males. A few lion specimens from West Africa obtained by museums were described as having shorter manes than lions from other African regions. In general,
408-417: A buildup of scent attracting the attention of predators, the lioness moves her cubs to a new den site several times a month, carrying them one-by-one by the nape of the neck. Usually, the mother does not integrate herself and her cubs back into the pride until the cubs are six to eight weeks old. Sometimes the introduction to pride life occurs earlier, particularly if other lionesses have given birth at about
510-549: A closer relationship with P. leo melanochaita . Lion samples from some parts of the Ethiopian Highlands cluster genetically with those from Cameroon and Chad, while lions from other areas of Ethiopia cluster with samples from East Africa. Researchers, therefore, assume Ethiopia is a contact zone between the two subspecies. Genome -wide data of a wild-born historical lion sample from Sudan showed that it clustered with P. l. leo in mtDNA-based phylogenies, but with
612-471: A constant lookout for circling vultures, which indicate the death or distress of an animal. Most carrion on which both hyenas and lions feed upon are killed by hyenas rather than lions. Carrion is thought to provide a large part of lion diet. Lions and spotted hyenas occupy a similar ecological niche and compete for prey and carrion; a review of data across several studies indicates a dietary overlap of 58.6%. Lions typically ignore hyenas unless they are on
714-425: A favoured position in the group, either stalking prey on the "wing", then attacking, or moving a smaller distance in the centre of the group and capturing prey fleeing from other lionesses. Males attached to prides do not usually participate in group hunting. Some evidence suggests, however, that males are just as successful as females; they are typically solo hunters who ambush prey in small bushland. They may join in
816-728: A few protected areas from Senegal in the west to Nigeria in the east. This population has lost 99% of its former range. Between 246 and 466 lions live in the WAP-Complex , a large system of protected areas formed mainly by W , Arli , and Pendjari National Parks in Burkina Faso , Benin , and Niger . It is regionally extinct in Mauritania , Gambia , Guinea-Bissau , Mali , Sierra Leone , Ivory Coast , and Togo , and possibly extinct in Guinea and Ghana . The border between
918-470: A few reported cases of old and wounded lions falling prey to wild dogs. Most lionesses reproduce by the time they are four years of age. Lions do not mate at a specific time of year and the females are polyestrous . Like those of other cats, the male lion's penis has spines that point backward. During withdrawal of the penis, the spines rake the walls of the female's vagina, which may cause ovulation . A lioness may mate with more than one male when she
1020-548: A heavier mane. On average, Asiatic lions have sparser manes than African lions. This feature likely evolved to signal the fitness of males to females. Males with darker manes appear to have greater reproductive success and are more likely to remain in a pride for longer. They have longer and thicker hair and higher testosterone levels, but they are also more vulnerable to heat stress. The core body temperature does apparently not increase regardless of sex, season, feeding time, length and colour of mane, but only surface temperature
1122-602: A high affinity to P. l. melanochaita . This result suggested that the taxonomic position of lions in Central Africa may require revision. Other lion subspecies or sister species to the modern lion existed in prehistoric times: The Panthera lineage is estimated to have genetically diverged from the common ancestor of the Felidae around 9.32 to 4.47 million years ago to 11.75 to 0.97 million years ago . Results of analyses differ in
SECTION 10
#17327758943371224-480: A key species sought for exhibition in zoological gardens across the world since the late 18th century. Cultural depictions of lions were prominent in Ancient Egypt , and depictions have occurred in virtually all ancient and medieval cultures in the lion's historic and current range. The English word lion is derived via Anglo-Norman liun from Latin leōnem (nominative: leō ), which in turn
1326-501: A kill or are being harassed, while the latter tend to visibly react to the presence of lions with or without the presence of food. In the Ngorongoro crater , lions subsist largely on kills stolen from hyenas, causing them to increase their kill rate. In Botswana's Chobe National Park, the situation is reversed as hyenas there frequently challenge lions and steal their kills, obtaining food from 63% of all lion kills. When confronted on
1428-514: A kill, hyenas may either leave or wait patiently at a distance of 30–100 m (98–328 ft) until the lions have finished. Hyenas may feed alongside lions and force them off a kill. The two species attack one another even when there is no food involved for no apparent reason. Lions can account for up to 71% of hyena deaths in Etosha National Park . Hyenas have adapted by frequently mobbing lions that enter their home ranges. When
1530-519: A kill. Crippled lions and cubs may fall victim to hyenas and leopards or be trampled by buffalo or elephants. Careless lions may be maimed when hunting prey. Nile crocodiles may also kill and eat lions, evidenced by the occasional lion claw found in crocodile stomachs. Ticks commonly infest the ears, neck and groin regions of the lions. Adult forms of several tapeworm species of the genus Taenia have been isolated from lion intestines, having been ingested as larvae in antelope meat. Lions in
1632-446: A lesser extent also on waterbuck, crested porcupine ( Hystrix cristata ), bushpig, roan antelope, olive baboon ( Papio anubis ) and oribi ( Ourebia ourebi ). In India's Gir Forest National Park, lions predominantly kill chital ( Axis axis ), Sambar deer ( Rusa unicolor ), nilgai ( Boselaphus tragocamelus ), cattle ( Bos taurus ), domestic buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis ) and less frequently also wild boar ( Sus scrofa ). Outside
1734-545: A lion in the Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal has given birth to three cubs, two males and a female. The park is aiming to increase the lion population to 50 lions by the end 2025, before doubling that population in the 5 years after that. Lion The lion ( Panthera leo ) is a large cat of the genus Panthera , native to Africa and India . It has a muscular, broad-chested body ;
1836-558: A lion makes when sniffing chemical signals and involves an open mouth with bared teeth, raised muzzle, wrinkled nose, closed eyes and relaxed ears. Lions also use chemical and visual marking; males spray urine and scrape plots of ground and objects within the territory. The lion's repertoire of vocalisations is large; variations in intensity and pitch appear to be central to communication. Most lion vocalisations are variations of growling , snarling , meowing and roaring. Other sounds produced include puffing, bleating and humming. Roaring
1938-473: A longer evolutionary history than genetically less diverse lion samples from Asia and West and Central Africa. A whole genome-wide sequence of lion samples showed that samples from West Africa shared alleles with samples from Southern Africa, and samples from Central Africa shared alleles with samples from Asia. This phenomenon indicates that Central Africa was a melting pot of lion populations after they had become isolated, possibly migrating through corridors in
2040-399: A loose pride while females associate with up to 12 other females, forming a stronger pride together with their cubs. Female and male lions associate only when mating. Coalitions of males hold territory for a longer time than single lions. Males in coalitions of three or four individuals exhibit a pronounced hierarchy, in which one male dominates the others and mates more frequently. The lion
2142-670: A major clade distinct from lion populations in Southern and East Africa . In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group subsumed lion populations according to the major clades into two subspecies, namely P. l. leo and P. l. melanochaita . Within P. l. leo three subclades are clearly distinguishable. One from Asia, which includes the extinct Barbary lions of North Africa, another one from West Africa and
SECTION 20
#17327758943372244-433: A nomad is a "range". Males associated with a pride patrol the fringes. Both males and females defend the pride against intruders, but the male lion is better-suited for this purpose due to its stockier, more powerful build. Some individuals consistently lead the defense against intruders, while others lag behind. Lions tend to assume specific roles in the pride; slower-moving individuals may provide other valuable services to
2346-554: A nomadic phase before gaining residence in a pride. A study undertaken in the Serengeti National Park revealed that nomadic coalitions gain residency at between 3.5 and 7.3 years of age. In Kruger National Park, dispersing male lions move more than 25 km (16 mi) away from their natal pride in search of their own territory. Female lions stay closer to their natal pride. Therefore, female lions in an area are more closely related to each other than male lions in
2448-425: A reed-bed, a cave, or some other sheltered area, usually away from the pride. She will often hunt alone while the cubs are still helpless, staying relatively close to the den. Lion cubs are born blind, their eyes opening around seven days after birth. They weigh 1.2–2.1 kg (2.6–4.6 lb) at birth and are almost helpless, beginning to crawl a day or two after birth and walking around three weeks of age. To avoid
2550-565: A short, rounded head, a reduced neck, and round ears; males have broader heads. The fur varies in colour from light buff to silvery grey, yellowish red, and dark brown. The colours of the underparts are generally lighter. A new-born lion has dark spots , which fade as the cub reaches adulthood, although faint spots may still be seen on the legs and underparts. The tail of all lions ends in a dark, hairy tuft that, in some lions, conceals an approximately 5 mm (0.20 in)-long, hard "spine" or "spur" composed of dermal papillae. The functions of
2652-415: A short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic ; adult male lions are larger than females and have a prominent mane. It is a social species , forming groups called prides. A lion's pride consists of a few adult males, related females, and cubs. Groups of female lions usually hunt together, preying mostly on medium-sized and large ungulates . The lion
2754-619: A single clade, and the lions in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa also form distinct clades. Analysis of phylogenetic data of 194 lion samples from 22 countries revealed that Central and West African lions diverged about 186,000–128,000 years ago from the melanochaita group in East and Southern Africa. Samples from West Africa shared alleles with samples from Southern Africa, and samples from Central Africa shared alleles with samples from Asia. This indicates that Central Africa
2856-447: A single male. In Waza National Park, three female and two male lions were radio-collared in 1999 and tracked until 2001. The females moved in home ranges of between 352 and 724 km (136 and 280 sq mi) and stayed inside the park during most of the survey period. The males used home ranges of between 428 and 1,054 km (165 and 407 sq mi), both inside and outside the park, where they repeatedly killed livestock. One
2958-399: A sufficient wild prey base, make lion-human coexistence sustainable and reduce factors that lead to further fragmentation of populations. Surveys and interviews with herders around protected areas revealed that improved enclosures for livestock significantly decreased depredation by lions, and hence contributed to mitigating human-lion conflict. The effect of lion trophy hunting and whether it
3060-562: A third one from Central Africa, north of the rainforest belt. P. l. leo is regionally extinct in North Africa , southern Europe , and West Asia . Asia's sole lion population lives in and around Gir National Park , India. The West African lion population is geographically isolated and numbers fewer than 250 mature individuals. It is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List . A lion from Constantine, Algeria ,
3162-429: A year old and begin to hunt effectively when nearing the age of two. Single lions are capable of bringing down zebra and wildebeest, while larger prey like buffalo and giraffe are riskier. In Chobe National Park , large prides have been observed hunting African bush elephants up to around 15 years old in exceptional cases, with the victims being calves, juveniles, and even subadults. In typical hunts, each lioness has
Panthera leo leo - Misplaced Pages Continue
3264-404: Is in heat . Lions of both sexes may be involved in group homosexual and courtship activities. Males will also head-rub and roll around with each other before mounting each other. Generation length of the lion is about seven years. The average gestation period is around 110 days; the female gives birth to a litter of between one and four cubs in a secluded den, which may be a thicket,
3366-905: Is a generalist hypercarnivore and is considered to be both an apex and keystone predator due to its wide prey spectrum. Its prey consists mainly of medium-sized to large ungulates , particularly blue wildebeest , plains zebra , African buffalo , gemsbok and giraffe . It also frequently takes common warthog despite it being much smaller. In India, chital and sambar deer are the most common wild prey, while livestock contributes significantly to lion kills outside protected areas. It usually avoids fully grown adult elephants , rhinoceros and hippopotamus and small prey like dik-dik , hyraxes , hares and monkeys . Unusual prey include porcupines and small reptiles. Lions kill other predators but seldom consume them. Young lions first display stalking behaviour at around three months of age, although they do not participate in hunting until they are almost
3468-553: Is a mixture of dry savannah forest and very dry, deciduous scrub forest . In Africa, the range of the lion originally spanned most of the central African rainforest zone and the Sahara desert. In the 1960s, it became extinct in North Africa, except in the southern part of Sudan. During the mid- Holocene , around 8,000-6,000 years ago, the range of lions expanded into Southeastern and Eastern Europe, partially re-occupying
3570-485: Is a sustainable conservation measure, has been discussed controversially. In 2016, a group of authors recommended a quota for lion trophy hunting of one lion per 1,000 km (390 sq mi) in the WAP protected area complex, and to refrain from imposing an import embargo of lion trophies from this region. This recommendation was questioned and strongly opposed, with the argument that the estimate for lion population size in
3672-898: Is affected. Unlike in other felid species, female lions consistently interact with multiple males at once. Another hypothesis suggests that the mane also serves to protect the neck in fights, but this is disputed. During fights, including those involving maneless females and adolescents, the neck is not targeted as much as the face, back, and hindquarters. Injured lions also begin to lose their manes. Almost all male lions in Pendjari National Park are either maneless or have very short manes. Maneless lions have also been reported in Senegal, in Sudan 's Dinder National Park and in Tsavo East National Park , Kenya. Castrated lions often have little to no mane because
3774-470: Is an apex and keystone predator ; although some lions scavenge when opportunities occur and have been known to hunt humans , lions typically do not actively seek out and prey on humans. The lion inhabits grasslands , savannahs , and shrublands . It is usually more diurnal than other wild cats, but when persecuted, it adapts to being active at night and at twilight . During the Neolithic period,
3876-616: Is from the Egypt–Sudan border to the southern tip of Lake Nasser . The second is the section between the third and fourth cataracts . The third and most important stretch extends from Khartoum, in the south, to Juba (South Sudan). The main water supplier for the basin is Lake Victoria , located in the Great Rift Valley . About 238 million people live within the Nile basin, 172 million of those inhabit rural localities. In
3978-399: Is generally mutual and the recipient appears to express pleasure. The head and neck are the most common parts of the body licked; this behaviour may have arisen out of utility because lions cannot lick these areas themselves. Lions have an array of facial expressions and body postures that serve as visual gestures. A common facial expression is the "grimace face" or flehmen response , which
4080-533: Is no evidence for gene flow between the two lineages, indicating that they did not share the same geographic area. The Eurasian and American cave lions became extinct at the end of the last glacial period without mitochondrial descendants on other continents. The modern lion was probably widely distributed in Africa during the Middle Pleistocene and started to diverge in sub-Saharan Africa during
4182-415: Is short and powerful; it attempts to catch prey with a fast rush and final leap, usually pulls it down by the rump, and kills with a clamping bite to the throat or muzzle . It can hold the prey's throat for up to 13 minutes, until the prey stops moving. It has a bite force from 1593.8 to 1768 Newtons at the canine tip and up 4167.6 Newtons at the carnassial notch. Lions typically consume prey at
Panthera leo leo - Misplaced Pages Continue
4284-590: Is the Tsavo lion pride that always has just one adult male. Prides act as fission–fusion societies , and members will split into subgroups that keep in contact with roars . Nomadic lions range widely and move around sporadically, either in pairs or alone. Pairs are more frequent among related males. A lion may switch lifestyles; nomads can become residents and vice versa. Interactions between prides and nomads tend to be hostile, although pride females in estrus allow nomadic males to approach them. Males spend years in
4386-615: Is the most social of all wild felid species, living in groups of related individuals with their offspring. Such a group is called a " pride ". Groups of male lions are called "coalitions". Females form the stable social unit in a pride and do not tolerate outside females. The majority of females remain in their birth prides while all males and some females will disperse . The average pride consists of around 15 lions, including several adult females and up to four males and their cubs of both sexes. Large prides, consisting of up to 30 individuals, have been observed. The sole exception to this pattern
4488-480: Is typically brownish and tinged with yellow, rust, and black hairs. Mutations in the genes microphthalmia-associated transcription factor and tyrosinase are possibly responsible for the colour of manes. It starts growing when lions enter adolescence, when testosterone levels increase, and reach their full size at around four years old. Cool ambient temperatures in European and North American zoos may result in
4590-426: Is unable to consume all of the kill, it rests for a few hours before continuing to eat. On hot days, the pride retreats to shade with one or two males standing guard. Lions defend their kills from scavengers such as vultures and hyenas. Lions scavenge on carrion when the opportunity arises, scavenging animals dead from natural causes such as disease or those that were killed by other predators. Scavenging lions keep
4692-564: Is used to advertise its presence. Lions most often roar at night, a sound that can be heard from a distance of 8 kilometres (5 mi). They tend to roar in a very characteristic manner starting with a few deep, long roars that subside into grunts. The lion is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List . The Indian population is listed on CITES Appendix I and the African population on CITES Appendix II . Nile Basin Besides being
4794-543: The East African Rift possibly constituted major barriers between the two groups. The two lion groups overlap in Ethiopia, as lion samples from Bale Mountains National Park clustered with lion samples from Central Africa, whereas other samples from this country clustered with samples from East Africa. Three clades can be distinguished within P. l. leo . Lion samples from North Africa and India clustered into
4896-512: The Narmada River in central India. Lions spend much of their time resting; they are inactive for about twenty hours per day. Although lions can be active at any time, their activity generally peaks after dusk with a period of socialising, grooming, and defecating. Intermittent bursts of activity continue until dawn, when hunting most often takes place. They spend an average of two hours a day walking and fifty minutes eating. The lion
4998-484: The Nile Basin during the early Holocene . In zoos, lions have been bred with tigers to create hybrids for the curiosity of visitors or for scientific purpose. The liger is bigger than a lion and a tiger, whereas most tigons are relatively small compared to their parents because of reciprocal gene effects. The leopon is a hybrid between a lion and leopard. The lion is a muscular, broad-chested cat with
5100-739: The Sahara Desert . Its main navigable course is through the Nile River, being the mouth section in the Mediterranean Sea (more precisely after the Nile Delta ) until it surrounds the city of Aswan , in southern Egypt. There are also navigable courses at the Aswan Dam . In the middle Nile, after the dam, due to the presence of waterfalls north of Khartoum (Sudan), the river is navigable in just three stretches. The first
5202-440: The political insecurity in the region posed a threat to the area's lion population. Poaching of lions by paramilitary forces has been reported by local people living in the vicinity of Ethiopia's Gambella National Park. Local people around Chebera Churchura National Park kill lions, leopards ( Panthera pardus ) and spotted hyenas ( Crocuta crocuta ) using traps to retaliate against attacks on their livestock. Surveys in
SECTION 50
#17327758943375304-608: The rainy season when wild prey disperses away from artificial waterholes. In Africa, lions are killed pre-emptively or in retaliation for preying on livestock. Populations are also threatened by depletion of prey base, loss and conversion of habitat. The lion population in West Africa is fragmented and isolated, comprising fewer than 250 mature individuals. It is threatened by poaching and illegal trade of body parts. Lion body parts from Benin are smuggled to Niger, Nigeria, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Guinea, and from Burkina Faso to Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Guinea. In Nigeria,
5406-691: The Asiatic lion population. In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the Cat Specialist Group revised lion taxonomy , and recognises two subspecies based on results of several phylogeographic studies on lion evolution , namely: However, there seems to be some degree of overlap between both groups in northern Central Africa. DNA analysis from a more recent study indicates that Central African lions are derived from both northern and southern lions, as they cluster with P. leo leo in mtDNA-based phylogenies whereas their genomic DNA indicates
5508-550: The Central African Republic's Chinko area revealed that the number of lions decreased significantly between 2012 and 2017 after transhumant pastoralists from the border area with Sudan moved into the area. Rangers found multiple lion cadavers and confiscated large amounts of poison in the camps of livestock herders. They were accompanied by armed merchants who also engaged in poaching large herbivores, sale of bushmeat and trading lion skins. In India,
5610-527: The Late Pleistocene. Lion populations in East and Southern Africa became separated from populations in West and North Africa when the equatorial rainforest expanded 183,500 to 81,800 years ago. They shared a common ancestor probably between 98,000 and 52,000 years ago. Due to the expansion of the Sahara between 83,100 and 26,600 years ago, lion populations in West and North Africa became separated. As
5712-566: The Ngorongoro Crater were afflicted by an outbreak of stable fly ( Stomoxys calcitrans ) in 1962, resulting in lions becoming emaciated and covered in bloody, bare patches. Lions sought unsuccessfully to evade the biting flies by climbing trees or crawling into hyena burrows; many died or migrated and the local population dropped from 70 to 15 individuals. A more recent outbreak in 2001 killed six lions. Captive lions have been infected with canine distemper virus (CDV) since at least
5814-734: The WAP region is not reliable and therefore the suggested quota inappropriate. In 2006, 1258 captive lions were registered in the International Species Information System, including 13 individuals originating from Senegal to Cameroon, 115 from India and 970 with uncertain origin. In addition, several lions kept in Ethiopia's Addis Ababa Zoo were thought to be genetically similar to wild lions from Cameroon and Chad. They also differed from lions kept at Sana'a Zoo , which were suspected to be of Ethiopian origin. Genetic research did not corroborate this result, but placed these lions in P. l. melanochaita . In 2023,
5916-607: The West African and the Central African lion clade is following largely the lower Niger River, which seems to act as a permanent barrier for gene flow. The Central African lion population inhabits protected areas of: The Asiatic lion is the last surviving population of this clade. Once also found in the Middle East, it is nowadays confined in the wild to Gujarat in India. Genetically, the extinct lions from Northern Africa, formally termed as Barbary lions , fall into
6018-612: The West African lion is similar in general appearance and size as lions in other parts of Africa and Asia. Skeletal muscles make up 58.8% of the lion's body weight. Today, P. l. leo occurs in West and Central Africa and India. It is regionally extinct in The Gambia , Mauritania , Sierra Leone , the Western Sahara , Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia , Kuwait , Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , Turkey, Palestine , Israel , Iraq, Iran and Pakistan . In 2005,
6120-697: The adjacent Timbavati Private Game Reserve in eastern South Africa. They were removed from the wild in the 1970s, thus decreasing the white lion gene pool . Nevertheless, 17 births have been recorded in five prides between 2007 and 2015. White lions are selected for breeding in captivity. They have reportedly been bred in camps in South Africa for use as trophies to be killed during canned hunts . African lions live in scattered populations across sub-Saharan Africa. The lion prefers grassy plains and savannahs , scrub bordering rivers, and open woodlands with bushes. It rarely enters closed forests. On Mount Elgon ,
6222-424: The age of two. When a new male lion takes over a pride, adolescents both male and female may be evicted. Lions may live 12–17 years in the wild. Although adult lions have no natural predators, evidence suggests most die violently from attacks by humans or other lions. Lions often inflict serious injuries on members of other prides they encounter in territorial disputes or members of the home pride when fighting at
SECTION 60
#17327758943376324-544: The animal's expressive movements are highly developed. The most common peaceful, tactile gestures are head rubbing and social licking , which have been compared with the role of allogrooming among primates. Head rubbing, nuzzling the forehead, face and neck against another lion appears to be a form of greeting and is seen often after an animal has been apart from others or after a fight or confrontation. Males tend to rub other males, while cubs and females rub females. Social licking often occurs in tandem with head rubbing; it
6426-499: The attack. They take advantage of factors that reduce visibility; many kills take place near some form of cover or at night. One study in 2018 recorded a lion running at a top speed of 74.1 km/h (46.0 mph). The lion accelerates at the start of the chase by 9.5 m/s² , whereas zebras, wildebeest and Thomson's gazelle accelerate by 5 m/s², 5.6 m/s² and 4.5 m/s², respectively; acceleration appears to be more important than steady displacement speed in lion hunts. The lion's attack
6528-575: The basin covers Burundi , Chad , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Egypt , Eritrea , Ethiopia , Kenya , Rwanda , South Sudan , the Sudan , Tanzania , and Uganda . The Basin is the main supplier of fresh water, electricity, and fish for the local residents of these countries, supporting about 270 million inhabitants, or 20% of the African population. The basin rises in the highlands and flows in extremely arid regions, in particular
6630-460: The cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the greatest causes for concern. One of the most widely recognised animal symbols in human culture, the lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in literature and films. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire and have been
6732-411: The cubs varies—one male could patiently let the cubs play with his tail or his mane, while another may snarl and bat the cubs away. Pride lionesses often synchronise their reproductive cycles and communal rearing and suckling of the young, which suckle indiscriminately from any or all of the nursing females in the pride. The synchronisation of births is advantageous because the cubs grow to being roughly
6834-561: The following decades, there has been much debate among zoologists on the validity of proposed subspecies: In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group subsumed lion populations in North, West and Central Africa and Asia to P. l. leo , based on results of genetic research on lion samples. Since the beginning of the 21st century, several phylogenetic studies were conducted to aid clarifying
6936-534: The group. Alternatively, there may be rewards associated with being a leader that fends off intruders; the rank of lionesses in the pride is reflected in these responses. The male or males associated with the pride must defend their relationship with the pride from outside males who may attempt to usurp them. Dominance hierarchies do not appear to exist among individuals of either sex in a pride. Asiatic lion prides differ in group composition. Male Asiatic lions are solitary or associate with up to three males, forming
7038-570: The hunting of large, slower-moving prey like buffalo; and even hunt them on their own. Moderately-sized hunting groups generally have higher success rates than lone females and larger groups. Lions are not particularly known for their stamina. For instance, a lioness's heart comprises only 0.57% of her body weight and a male's is about 0.45% of his body weight, whereas a hyena's heart comprises almost 1% of its body weight. Thus, lions run quickly only in short bursts at about 48–59 km/h (30–37 mph) and need to be close to their prey before starting
7140-504: The isolated lion population in Gashaka Gumti National Park is hunted and poisoned by local people. The lion population in Central Africa is threatened by loss of habitat and prey base and trophy hunting . Between seven and 12 lion trophies were exported from Cameroon every year between 1985 and 2010. In Bénoué National Park, local people were observed at a lion kill cutting off chunks of meat. Local people living in
7242-662: The lion has been recorded up to an elevation of 3,600 m (11,800 ft) and close to the snow line on Mount Kenya . Savannahs with an annual rainfall of 300 to 1,500 mm (12 to 59 in) make up the majority of lion habitat in Africa, estimated at 3,390,821 km (1,309,203 sq mi) at most, but remnant populations are also present in tropical moist forests in West Africa and montane forests in East Africa. The Asiatic lion now survives only in and around Gir National Park in Gujarat, western India. Its habitat
7344-749: The lion is protected, and included in CITES Appendix I . African lions are included in CITES Appendix II . In 2004, it was proposed in 2004 to list all lion populations in CITES Appendix I to reduce exports of lion trophies and implement a stricter permission process, due to the negative impact of trophy hunting. In 2006, a Lion Conservation Strategy for West and Central Africa was developed in cooperation between IUCN regional offices and several wildlife conservation organisations. The strategy envisages to maintain sufficient habitat, ensure
7446-810: The lion population in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve declined, the spotted hyena population increased rapidly. Lions tend to dominate cheetahs and leopards, steal their kills and kill their cubs and even adults when given the chance. Cheetahs often lose their kills to lions or other predators. A study in the Serengeti ecosystem revealed that lions killed at least 17 of 125 cheetah cubs born between 1987 and 1990. Cheetahs avoid their competitors by hunting at different times and habitats. Leopards, by contrast, do not appear to be motivated by an avoidance of lions, as they use heavy vegetation regardless of whether lions are present in an area and both cats are active around
7548-427: The lion ranged throughout Africa and Eurasia, from Southeast Europe to India, but it has been reduced to fragmented populations in sub-Saharan Africa and one population in western India . It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 because populations in African countries have declined by about 43% since the early 1990s. Lion populations are untenable outside designated protected areas. Although
7650-551: The location of the hunt but sometimes drag large prey into cover. They tend to squabble over kills, particularly the males. Cubs suffer most when food is scarce but otherwise all pride members eat their fill, including old and crippled lions, which can live on leftovers. Large kills are shared more widely among pride members. An adult lioness requires an average of about 5 kg (11 lb) of meat per day while males require about 7 kg (15 lb). Lions gorge themselves and eat up to 30 kg (66 lb) in one session. If it
7752-491: The mid-1970s. CDV is spread by domestic dogs and other carnivores; a 1994 outbreak in Serengeti National Park resulted in many lions developing neurological symptoms such as seizures. During the outbreak, several lions died from pneumonia and encephalitis . Feline immunodeficiency virus and lentivirus also affect captive lions. When resting, lion socialisation occurs through a number of behaviours;
7854-434: The phylogenetic relationship of the lion; it was thought to form a sister group with the jaguar that diverged 3.46 to 1.22 million years ago , but also with the leopard that diverged 3.1 to 1.95 million years ago to 4.32 to 0.02 million years ago . Hybridisation between lion and snow leopard ancestors possibly continued until about 2.1 million years ago. The lion-leopard clade
7956-612: The previous males associated with a pride, the victors often kill any existing young cubs , perhaps because females do not become fertile and receptive until their cubs mature or die. Females often fiercely defend their cubs from a usurping male but are rarely successful unless a group of three or four mothers within a pride join forces against the male. Cubs also die from starvation and abandonment, and predation by leopards, hyenas and wild dogs. Male cubs are excluded from their maternal pride when they reach maturity at around two or three years of age, while some females may leave when they reach
8058-620: The protected area where wild prey species do not occur, lions prey on buffalo and cattle, rarely also on Arabian camel ( Camelus dromedarius ). They kill most prey less than 100 m (330 ft) away from water bodies, charge prey from close range and drag carcasses into dense cover. Lions probably prey on livestock when wild prey species occur at lower densities, especially during the wet season. An interview survey among livestock owners in six villages in Waza National Park's vicinity revealed that lions attack cattle mostly during
8160-529: The rainforest decreased and thus gave rise to more open habitats, lions moved from West to Central Africa. Lions from North Africa dispersed to southern Europe and Asia between 38,800 and 8,300 years ago. Extinction of lions in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East interrupted gene flow between lion populations in Asia and Africa. Genetic evidence revealed numerous mutations in lion samples from East and Southern Africa, which indicates that this group has
8262-457: The range of the now extinct cave lion . In Hungary , the modern lion was present from about 4,500 to 3,200 years Before Present . In Ukraine , the modern lion was present from about 6,400 to 2,000 years Before Present. In Greece, it was common, as reported by Herodotus in 480 BC; it was considered rare by 300 BC and extirpated by AD 100. In Asia the lion once ranged in regions where climatic conditions supported an abundance of prey. It
8364-488: The removal of the gonads inhibits testosterone production. Rarely, both wild and captive lionesses have manes. Increased testosterone may be the cause of maned lionesses reported in northern Botswana. The white lion is a rare morph with a genetic condition called leucism , which is caused by a double recessive allele . It is not albino; it has normal pigmentation in the eyes and skin. White lions have occasionally been encountered in and around Kruger National Park and
8466-429: The same area. The evolution of sociability in lions was likely driven both by high population density and the clumped resources of savannah habitats. The larger the pride, the more high-quality territory they can defend; "hotspots" being near river confluences , where the cats have better access to water, prey and shelter (via vegetation). The area occupied by a pride is called a "pride area" whereas that occupied by
8568-615: The same clade as the Asiatic lion. Therefore, the range of this lion clade encompassed historically North Africa, southeastern Europe , the Arabian Peninsula , the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. In these regions, lions occurred in: The Barbary lion population in North Africa is extinct since the mid 1960s. The Asiatic lion population survives in Gir Forest National Park and remnant forest habitats in
8670-477: The same sites. Females associate with up to 12 females forming a stronger pride together with their cubs. They share large carcasses among each other, but seldom with males. Female and male lions usually associate only for a few days when mating , but rarely travel and feed together. In Pendjari National Park, groups of lions range from 1–8 individuals. Outside the National Park, groups are smaller and with
8772-420: The same size and have an equal chance of survival, and sucklings are not dominated by older cubs. Weaning occurs after six or seven months. Male lions reach maturity at about three years of age and at four to five years are capable of challenging and displacing adult males associated with another pride. They begin to age and weaken at between 10 and 15 years of age at the latest. When one or more new males oust
8874-406: The same time of day. In addition, there is no evidence that lions affect leopard abundance. Leopards take refuge in trees, though lionesses occasionally attempt to climb up and retrieve their kills. Lions similarly dominate African wild dogs , taking their kills and dispatching pups or adult dogs. Population densities of wild dogs are low in areas where lions are more abundant. However, there are
8976-420: The same time. When first introduced to the rest of the pride, lion cubs lack confidence when confronted with adults other than their mother. They soon begin to immerse themselves in the pride life, however, playing among themselves or attempting to initiate play with the adults. Lionesses with cubs of their own are more likely to be tolerant of another lioness's cubs than lionesses without cubs. Male tolerance of
9078-556: The second largest hydrographic basin in Africa, the Nile Basin is effectively the most notable drainage basin on the continent. It covers approximately 2,870,000 km , or about 10% of African territory, crossing arid regions and with a high population density. The Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) has been in existence since 1999, with the aim of strengthening cooperation in sharing its resources concerned. The drainage area of
9180-422: The spur are unknown. The tuft is absent at birth and develops at around 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 months of age. It is readily identifiable at the age of seven months. Its skull is very similar to that of the tiger, although the frontal region is usually more depressed and flattened and has a slightly shorter postorbital region and broader nasal openings than those of the tiger. Due to the amount of skull variation in
9282-446: The taxonomic status of lion samples kept in museums and collected in the wild. Scientists analysed between 32 and 480 lion samples from up to 22 countries. They all agree that the lion comprises two evolutionary groups, one in the northern and eastern parts of its historical range, and the other in Southern and East Africa ; they are estimated to have genetically diverged between 245,000 and 50,000 years ago. Tropical rainforest and
9384-413: The tiger in size. The size and weight of adult lions vary across its range and habitats. Accounts of a few individuals that were larger than average exist from Africa and India. The male lion's mane is the most recognisable feature of the species. It may have evolved around 320,000–190,000 years ago. It grows downwards and backwards, covering most of the head, neck, shoulders, and chest. The mane
9486-413: The two hill systems of Gir and Girnar that comprise Gujarat 's largest tracts of dry deciduous forest , thorny forest and savanna. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of its small size and area of occupancy . Male Asiatic lions are solitary or associate with up to three males forming a loose pride. Pairs of males rest, hunt and feed together, and display marking behaviour at
9588-407: The two species, usually only the structure of the lower jaw can be used as a reliable indicator of species. The skeletal muscles of the lion make up 58.8% of its body weight and represent the highest percentage of muscles among mammals. The lion has a high concentration of fast twitch muscle fibers, giving them quick bursts of speed but less stamina. Among felids, the lion is second only to
9690-535: The vicinity of the protected area accounted in interviews that lions frequently attack livestock during the dry season. They use poison on carcasses to kill carnivores. In Waza National Park, two of four radio-collared lions were killed between 2007 and 2008, and probably also an adult female, two other adult males and three cubs. Nomadic herders use bow and arrows poisoned with cobra venom to kill lions in retaliation for attacks on livestock. In northern parts of Cameroon, increased migration of people from Nigeria following
9792-400: Was a borrowing from Ancient Greek λέων léōn . The Hebrew word לָבִיא lavi may also be related. The generic name Panthera is traceable to the classical Latin word 'panthēra' and the ancient Greek word πάνθηρ 'panther'. Felis leo was the scientific name used by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, who described the lion in his work Systema Naturae . The genus name Panthera
9894-524: Was a melting pot of lion populations after they had become isolated. They possibly migrated through corridors in the Nile Basin during the early Holocene . Genome -wide data of a historical lion sample from Sudan showed that it clustered with P. l. leo in mitochondrial DNA -based phylogenies, but with a high affinity with P. l. melanochaita . The taxonomic position of lions in Central Africa may therefore require revision. The lion's fur varies in colour from light buff to dark brown. It has rounded ears and
9996-593: Was coined by Lorenz Oken in 1816. Between the mid-18th and mid-20th centuries, 26 lion specimens were described and proposed as subspecies, of which 11 were recognised as valid in 2005. They were distinguished mostly by the size and colour of their manes and skins. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several lion type specimens were described and proposed as subspecies , with about a dozen recognised as valid taxa until 2017. Between 2008 and 2016, IUCN Red List assessors used only two subspecific names: P. l. leo for African lion populations, and P. l. persica for
10098-520: Was distributed in the Asian and African Palearctic since at least the early Pliocene . The earliest fossils recognisable as lions were found at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and are estimated to be up to 2 million years old. Estimates for the divergence time of the modern and cave lion lineages range from 529,000 to 392,000 years ago based on mutation rate per generation time of the modern lion. There
10200-1236: Was killed and the other shot at by local people. After the pellets were removed, he recovered and shifted his home range to inside the park, and was not observed killing livestock any more. In general, lions prefer large prey species within a weight range of 190–550 kg (420–1,210 lb). They hunt large ungulates in the range of 40–270 kg (88–595 lb) including gemsbok ( Oryx gazella ), Cape buffalo ( Syncerus caffer ), blue wildebeest ( Connochaetes taurinus ), giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis ), common eland ( Tragelaphus oryx ), greater kudu ( T. strepsiceros ), nyala ( T. angasii ), roan antelope ( Hippotragus equinus ), sable antelope ( H. niger ), zebra ( Equus quagga ), bushpig ( Potamochoerus larvatus ), common warthog ( Phacochoerus africanus ), hartebeest ( Alcephalus buselaphus ), common tsessebe ( Damaliscus lunatus ), Thomson's gazelle ( Eudorcas thomsonii ), waterbuck ( Kobus ellipsiprymnus ) and kob ( K. kob ). Analysis of 119 faecal samples of lions collected in Cameroon's Faro National Park revealed that lions preyed foremost on kob and harnessed bushbuck ( Tragelaphus scriptus ), and to
10302-951: Was present in the Caucasus until the 10th century. It lived in Palestine until the Middle Ages and in Southwest Asia until the late 19th century. By the late 19th century, it had been extirpated in most of Turkey. The last live lion in Iran was sighted in 1942, about 65 km (40 mi) northwest of Dezful , although the corpse of a lioness was found on the banks of the Karun river in Khuzestan province in 1944. It once ranged from Sind and Punjab in Pakistan to Bengal and
10404-494: Was the type specimen for the specific name Felis leo used by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several lion zoological specimens from Africa and Asia were described and proposed as subspecies : In 1930, Reginald Innes Pocock subordinated the lion to the genus Panthera when he wrote about Asiatic lion specimens in the zoological collection of the British Museum of Natural History. In
#336663