Panthera leo melanochaita

Lions are both an apex predator (top of the food chain) and a keystone predator (critical to the health of their ecosystem). They are the most social of all cats and the only cats that live in large family groups consisting of four to 12 related adult females with their offspring plus two to three unrelated adult males. Females do most of the hunting, their soft foot pads and retractable claws allow lions to move quietly when approaching prey. Lions have great forebody strength which enables them to bring down and hold prey sometimes with just a swipe of their larger front paws. Their long tails have a black tuft of fur at the end and is used to communicate with each other on a group hunt and used by females to signal cubs to follow them. Lions are the only cats with a tufted tail!

Conservation Status: VULNERABLE

Fun Facts

• We have two lions in our zoo. Malaika is our 17-year-old female (Born: 11/04/2007). Hodari is our much younger 7-year-old male (Born: 10/25/2017). Malaika seems to have a crush on Hodari, but he is not very responsive.
• A group of lions is called a Pride! An individual male will dominate a pride for an average of 2.5 years, after which younger males will aggressively displace him to gain access to pride females.
• Our lions are fed ground meat that has been fortified with nutrients. Every other week, they are treated with thawed-out frozen rabbits and rib bones. About every 2-3 months, they share a whole carcass piece weighing up to 200 pounds. They fast for several days after this meal. To cool off during the summer months, they receive ice pop treats with bits of meat made in 5-gallon buckets.
• Lions are the second largest of the four big cat species (lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars). Tigers are the biggest.
• Lions are the only cats with manes. The male’s mane, an example of sexual dimorphism (differences in appearance between males and females), can vary from a short fringe to a full and shaggy covering the back of the head, neck, and onto the shoulders, throat, chest, and belly. In hotter, drier climates, males may have no mane. Mane color ranges from blonde to black, typically darkening with age.
• Lions' average life span is 15 years, but they can live up to 30 years in human care. Lions breed year-round and are usually polygamous. Gestation is about 108 days, and litters are usually 2 to 4 cubs. Within a pride, females share parenting duties, including nursing each other’s cubs. Cubs weigh between 2 and 4 lbs. at birth and are born blind and helpless with thick fur and dark spots that disappear as they age. Cubs are weaned at about 6 months, but will eat meat starting at around 3 months.