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Colouring Picture Lion Lioness
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Colouring Picture Lion Lioness
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| Conservation Status: Conservation Dependent |
A lion is a member of the “big cat” family. Other members of the big cat family are
the cheetah, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard and jaguar.
There are two sub-species of lion : The African Lion and the Asiatic Lion. They live in
different parts of the world and have physical differences.
The scientific name of the lion is Panthera Leo.
In Africa each pride contains about four to six females and their cubs. A male lion or
a group of lions will take over the pride, mate with the females and guard their
territory. They will then stay with the pride for about two to three years. After this
time what normally happens is a younger, stronger lion or group will fight to take over
the pride.
Lionesses remain in the same pride all their lives but male lions do not. It is generally
the females and their cubs that remain in the prides, whilst the males live together in
small groups called “coalitions”.
Many of the females in the pride give birth at about the same time. A cub may sickle
milk from and other female lionesses that have cubs, as well as its mother.
Lionesses can start to mate when they are four to six years old. Pregnancy lasts for
110 says and females give birth to between one and six tiny helpless little cubs. It is
not unusual for several females to give birth at around the same time. This means
that all the lionesses can look after the cubs at the same time, and share the nursing
of the cubs – feeding the babies.
Lion cubs feed on only milk for the first three months and then after that they start
eating meat. At about a year old they can join a hunt, although inexperienced cubs
are not terribly successful.
Lion cubs are very playful. While the mothers rest in the cool shade, they will play
with the tuft on her tail and play fight and tumble with each other in the grass.
Hunting generally is done in the dark by the lionesses. They often hunt in groups of two
or three, using teamwork to stalk, surround, and kill their prey. When the lionesses
hunt they work together as a team to catch the prey. Usually they all go for the same
animal, but a large pride may succeed in bringing down two or more in one attack.
Lionesses aren’t the most successful of hunters, because they usually score only one
kill out of several tries. After the kill the males usually eat first, lionesses next—and the
cubs get what’s left.
Lions used to live all over south east Europe, the Middle East and across India and
Africa. But today they only live in certain areas south of the Sahara Desert in Africa
and in a protected area known as the Gir Forest in India.
Lions live mostly in open savannah grasslands, the edge of deserts, plains or
woodlands. They tend to live in the open rather than woodland areas.
Lions are carnivores. This means that they eat meat. They generally hunt three to
four times a week, eating up to 35 kg in one meal. After a big meal they may not eat
again for a few days.
Trying to bring down a large animal can be dangerous, with hooves and horns to
avoid, but the weight of one or more lions hanging on with teeth and claws will
usually succeed in bringing down the larger prey. Lions usually kill by suffocation,
clamping their mouth over the prey’s nose and windpipe.
Many prey species, buck, warthog, buffalo, zebra etc, can run faster than lions and so
lions often hunt at night to surprise them. When a herd of prey has been spotted by
the lions, some lions will try to circle and isolate the animal – normally the weakest of
the herd – forcing it to move towards another lion lying in the grass, waiting to
ambush the prey.By the time the prey is dead the rest of the pride members will have
gathered around to eat the meat. Lions limit the number of grazing animals and the
remains of their kills provides food for vultures, hyenas and many insects.
Lion Facts (Click to open new page)
Conservation Status:
The African Lion is only found in Eastern and Southern Africa. Although no one has
done a census – that is counting the exact number of lions – it is thought that there is
somewhere between 20 000 and 100 000 African lions left in the wild. Although this
does not mean that the African lion is endangered NOW, it is “vulnerable” to
extinction. This means that they may become endangered if they are not protected.
The Asiatic lion however is much worse off than his African cousin. It is already listed
as “endangered”. This means that extinction is likely. Only about 350 Asiatic males
remain and they all live in one sanctuary in the Gir Forest, India. When an animal
becomes extinct, there is no way that the animal will ever be around again to roam
the wilds. Dinosaurs are extinct. There are no more dinosaurs left in the world.
Imagine if there were no more lions left in the world.
Why are lions being threatened with extinction?
Well the lion population in both Africa and Asia has decreased, and is decreasing for
very similar reasons. Here are some of them.
HABITAT DESTRUCTION
The Gir Forest is being cut down for timber. This has made the area that lions inhabit
smaller than before. In Africa huge areas of grasslands and savannah plains are
being turned into farmlands.
HUNTING
The lions of the Gir Forest were hunted almost to extinction. Their heads were kept as
“trophies” of a hunting trip. In Africa, lions are still hunted under license in some
countries by “big game hunters”, even though lions are protected in other countries.
This is the senseless killing of these beautiful animals for pleasure.
Some lions are also shot by cattle farmers, who naturally don’t want their cattle and
goats getting killed by lions. It is very rare for a lion to become a man eater, but if this
happens the lion is shot.
How can we help?
The Gir Forest is now a protected sanctuary and also many of the areas of Africa in
which lions live are also protected. This sadly does not stop poaching.
Lion sanctuaries can be set up for orphaned lion cubs.
Education is the best key to everything. The people of Africa and Asia and the rest of
the world need to be educated and informed about what their actions are doing to
the animal population of the world, and how destroying forests and senseless “big
game hunting” can lead to the end – the extinction - of a spectacular species of
animal of Earth.
the cheetah, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard and jaguar.
There are two sub-species of lion : The African Lion and the Asiatic Lion. They live in
different parts of the world and have physical differences.
The scientific name of the lion is Panthera Leo.
In Africa each pride contains about four to six females and their cubs. A male lion or
a group of lions will take over the pride, mate with the females and guard their
territory. They will then stay with the pride for about two to three years. After this
time what normally happens is a younger, stronger lion or group will fight to take over
the pride.
Lionesses remain in the same pride all their lives but male lions do not. It is generally
the females and their cubs that remain in the prides, whilst the males live together in
small groups called “coalitions”.
Many of the females in the pride give birth at about the same time. A cub may sickle
milk from and other female lionesses that have cubs, as well as its mother.
Lionesses can start to mate when they are four to six years old. Pregnancy lasts for
110 says and females give birth to between one and six tiny helpless little cubs. It is
not unusual for several females to give birth at around the same time. This means
that all the lionesses can look after the cubs at the same time, and share the nursing
of the cubs – feeding the babies.
Lion cubs feed on only milk for the first three months and then after that they start
eating meat. At about a year old they can join a hunt, although inexperienced cubs
are not terribly successful.
Lion cubs are very playful. While the mothers rest in the cool shade, they will play
with the tuft on her tail and play fight and tumble with each other in the grass.
Hunting generally is done in the dark by the lionesses. They often hunt in groups of two
or three, using teamwork to stalk, surround, and kill their prey. When the lionesses
hunt they work together as a team to catch the prey. Usually they all go for the same
animal, but a large pride may succeed in bringing down two or more in one attack.
Lionesses aren’t the most successful of hunters, because they usually score only one
kill out of several tries. After the kill the males usually eat first, lionesses next—and the
cubs get what’s left.
Lions used to live all over south east Europe, the Middle East and across India and
Africa. But today they only live in certain areas south of the Sahara Desert in Africa
and in a protected area known as the Gir Forest in India.
Lions live mostly in open savannah grasslands, the edge of deserts, plains or
woodlands. They tend to live in the open rather than woodland areas.
Lions are carnivores. This means that they eat meat. They generally hunt three to
four times a week, eating up to 35 kg in one meal. After a big meal they may not eat
again for a few days.
Trying to bring down a large animal can be dangerous, with hooves and horns to
avoid, but the weight of one or more lions hanging on with teeth and claws will
usually succeed in bringing down the larger prey. Lions usually kill by suffocation,
clamping their mouth over the prey’s nose and windpipe.
Many prey species, buck, warthog, buffalo, zebra etc, can run faster than lions and so
lions often hunt at night to surprise them. When a herd of prey has been spotted by
the lions, some lions will try to circle and isolate the animal – normally the weakest of
the herd – forcing it to move towards another lion lying in the grass, waiting to
ambush the prey.By the time the prey is dead the rest of the pride members will have
gathered around to eat the meat. Lions limit the number of grazing animals and the
remains of their kills provides food for vultures, hyenas and many insects.
Lion Facts (Click to open new page)
Conservation Status:
The African Lion is only found in Eastern and Southern Africa. Although no one has
done a census – that is counting the exact number of lions – it is thought that there is
somewhere between 20 000 and 100 000 African lions left in the wild. Although this
does not mean that the African lion is endangered NOW, it is “vulnerable” to
extinction. This means that they may become endangered if they are not protected.
The Asiatic lion however is much worse off than his African cousin. It is already listed
as “endangered”. This means that extinction is likely. Only about 350 Asiatic males
remain and they all live in one sanctuary in the Gir Forest, India. When an animal
becomes extinct, there is no way that the animal will ever be around again to roam
the wilds. Dinosaurs are extinct. There are no more dinosaurs left in the world.
Imagine if there were no more lions left in the world.
Why are lions being threatened with extinction?
Well the lion population in both Africa and Asia has decreased, and is decreasing for
very similar reasons. Here are some of them.
HABITAT DESTRUCTION
The Gir Forest is being cut down for timber. This has made the area that lions inhabit
smaller than before. In Africa huge areas of grasslands and savannah plains are
being turned into farmlands.
HUNTING
The lions of the Gir Forest were hunted almost to extinction. Their heads were kept as
“trophies” of a hunting trip. In Africa, lions are still hunted under license in some
countries by “big game hunters”, even though lions are protected in other countries.
This is the senseless killing of these beautiful animals for pleasure.
Some lions are also shot by cattle farmers, who naturally don’t want their cattle and
goats getting killed by lions. It is very rare for a lion to become a man eater, but if this
happens the lion is shot.
How can we help?
The Gir Forest is now a protected sanctuary and also many of the areas of Africa in
which lions live are also protected. This sadly does not stop poaching.
Lion sanctuaries can be set up for orphaned lion cubs.
Education is the best key to everything. The people of Africa and Asia and the rest of
the world need to be educated and informed about what their actions are doing to
the animal population of the world, and how destroying forests and senseless “big
game hunting” can lead to the end – the extinction - of a spectacular species of
animal of Earth.
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