The male lion, with its distinctive mane is undoubtedly one of the animals with which we are familiar from childhood. In addition, Panthera leo is the creature that makes us understand the sexual diforphism between species: males have manes and females do not. One of those indisputable dogmas with which we grow up … although I regret to inform you that this “supreme truth” is not always true …
A few days ago I saw a photo on Instagram of two long-haired lions mating, and I immediately thought it was a case of homosexuality in the animal world . While this is not new, I was unaware of its existence among lions. However, when I read the caption of the photo I discovered that it was actually a heterosexual couple, and that what looked like a lion was nevertheless a lioness with a mane. Looking for information about it, I discovered that, indeed, there are already other cases of females, both in freedom and in captivity, that show that “virile” appearance. Specifically, maned lionesses have been observed in the wild in the Okavango River Delta in the Moremi Wild Animal Reserve (Botswana).
What is a mane for?
Scientists consider that the quality of the mane reflects the health of the animal : a dense and dark mane indicates that the animal that owns it is vigorous and healthy. Furthermore, females prefer these males as they allow them to perpetuate their genetic material in future generations.
So what is the reason for a female to have a mane? From a genetic point of view, scientists consider that the appearance of these true “tomboys” is due to a disruption of the embryo during conception or during later pregnancy. These females have high survival rates, and being mistaken for males seems to help keep hyenas and other rival lions away from their group.
There are also “bald” lions
This story would not be complete without mentioning that the opposite phenomenon also occurs: in fact it is more frequent and better studied. Maneless male lions have been known for years in countries such as Benin (Pendjari National Park), Senegal and Sudan (Dinder National Park).
The best known maneless lions are possibly the ones who stopped the construction of the railway on the Tsavo River for nine months by killing more than a hundred workers since March 1898. “The Man-Eaters of Tsavo”, written by Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson, who was in charge of the play, is an interesting and entertaining read. More recently this episode was taken to the cinema in 1996 in the movie “The demons of the night” (Paramount) with Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas as the main protagonists.
The area where these events took place is today in the Tsavo National Park in Kenya and during one of our safaris to the Tsavo East Park in the 80s we were fortunate to find one of the possible descendants of these lions … and I attest! that their manes are very scarce!
It is believed that the “baldness” in these lions may be an adaptation to the thorny vegetation prevalent in the park, as the mane could interfere with their hunting abilities in this environment . Personally I do not believe in this explanation since in the Tsavo del Oeste Park, with very similar conditions, the lions have normal manes. I am more inclined to the theory that these lions could have high levels of testosterone, which would explain, in addition to their lack of mane, their aggressive reputation.
Nature does not stop surprising us and forcing us to review our dogmas. So remember that “if it has a mane, roars like a lion and looks like a lion it is most likely a lion” … it doesn’t always have to be true.
Julio de Castro is a veterinarian and a Doctor in Parasitology. He has worked for FAO for 25 years and now lives with his wife Mabel in Zimbabwe. Write about her experiences in Africa on the blog A Bushsnob in wild Africa
Photo 1: @insta_botswana
Photo 2: A “bald” lion and a normal lioness observed in the Tsavo del Este National Park in the 1980s. © J. de Castro.
