Lion

The lion is a big, strong cat with a golden coat. Most lions live on the wide, grassy plains of Africa, and one small group also lives in a forest in India. Grown-up males usually grow a thick mane of hair around their head, while the females stay smooth and sleek.

Lions are the most sociable of all the big cats. They live together in family groups called prides. A pride can be just a few lions or a big group of mothers, aunts, cubs, and one or more grown males. The lionesses in a pride are usually sisters, cousins, and daughters who stay together for life.

Lions are strong hunters, and the females do most of the hunting for the pride. They work as a team to catch large plant-eaters like zebra, wildebeest, and antelope. Because it is easier to stay cool then, lions often rest through the hot day and do most of their hunting in the evening and at night.

Lions have a mighty voice. Both males and females roar, and the sound carries a very long way across the open land, up to about eight kilometres. Roaring tells faraway lions where the pride lives and helps pride members find one another.

There are fewer lions in the wild than there used to be, mostly because the wild places they need are shrinking and there are fewer wild animals for them to eat. Many parks and reserves now protect lions and their land, and people who live nearby are finding new ways to share the countryside so lions have room to roam.