Lions are carnivorous animals and the second largest cats in the world after tigers. In addition, they are popularly known as the kings of the jungle or of the jungle, since they are at the top of the food chain and have no predators. In ancient times they roamed all over Africa, Asia and Europe. Currently it is only possible to find them in certain areas of Africa and India, since they are in danger of extinction.
There are two subspecies of the lion. On the one hand there is the African lion (Panthera leo leo) and, on the other hand, the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) . Today both subspecies are threatened due to poaching, animal trafficking and the destruction of their habitats.
The African lion inhabits certain areas of central and western Africa. Some of the countries where its population has grown the most are in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana. On the contrary, they have practically disappeared in areas such as Uganda, Tanzania or Kenya. For its part, the Asiatic lion lives mainly in the Gir forests (Gujarat state, India).
Lions are the only felines that live in packs, which can be made up of up to three males and a dozen females with their young. The young males sooner or later leave the herd to form a new family group, while the females remain together helping each other in the rearing tasks.
On the other hand, male African lions can weigh up to 250 kilos and measure 3 meters. The females, meanwhile, can reach 180 kilos and measure up to 1.70 meters. Also, Asian lions are slightly smaller than African lions. According to WWF, they measure a maximum of 2.80 meters and weigh around 190 kilos.
If you want to discover more curiosities about lions, take a look at the following gallery. They are exceptional felines!
