For centuries, people have regarded the lion as a noble creature. But have lions been misrepresented as the king of beasts? The truth about lions may surprise you.
Without a doubt, lions are handsome, powerful cats. The male lion’s rich, thick mane makes it both beautiful and fierce looking. It would be a logical conclusion, then, to view the male as a great hunter and protector. But this is not the case. Female lions do most of the hunting, often at night and in teams. Male lions rest or sleep up to twenty hours a day. The so-called “king” is actually a sluggish monarch much of the time.
Lions generally live in groups known as prides, which are like family units. Females of several generations may stay in the same pride for life. Male lions wander away or are forced out by new, stronger males. A pride may have a variable number of members, from as few as three to as many as thirty or more, depending on the amount of food in their territory. More food means larger prides.
These meat-eaters often feed on fresh kill that they bring down. However, some lions are outright thieves. They steal meat from other predators to save themselves the effort of hunting. That doesn’t seem like noble behavior! Nor does the fact that after female lions have made a kill, males chase them away so they can take the finest morsels for themselves.
Lions were once common to many parts of Europe, Asia, India, and Africa. But human hunters and farmers, as well as widespread development in regions where lions once roamed, have all had a serious impact on the wild lion population. Today, wild lions are found only in parts of Africa, and in a protected wildlife preserve in India. Neither an endangered nor threatened species, the lion continues to occupy its throne.