African lion
Mammals
Threatened
facts
Lions prey on antelope, zebras, and other hoofed animals.
description
Pride matters
Lions live in groups called prides. There can be from from 3 to 30 lions in a pride. A pride contains many females and their young, and a few males. The lionesses rule the pride, working together to hunt and raise the cubs. But the adult males play an important role as well. They guard the pride and protect its territory.
Big kitties
Lions have some behaviors that are like those of your cat at home. They are very good climbers and are often seen up in trees checking the area for prey. Lions sleep up to 21 hours a day, and researchers have seen them sleeping in some unusual positions—including on their backs with their paws in the air!
Danger ahead
Lions need large territories to hunt successfully, and habitat loss is a problem facing lion populations. Lions are also viewed as a threat to livestock by ranchers. Ranchers may shoot lions or poison carcasses to keep them away from their livestock (lions will scavenge, making them easy targets for the poisoning method).
