Even though lions are called the "King of Beasts" they don't stand up to all animals. Larger creatures like elephants will send any smart lion running! Lions can be ferocious, but they do have predators in the wild. A lion can be killed by many big animals and animals in groups, such as a pack of hyenas.
Most animals are afraid of lions, and with good reason. A male lions mighty roar can be heard for up to five miles away! Likewise the lion's senses are very well developed, and lions can hear prey that are up to five miles away, too. A lion's eyesight is five times better than the eyesight of us humans. Lions have been known to grow as large as 11 feet long and weigh up to 700 pounds. That's a big cat!
When a group of lions gets together the group is called a "pride". A pride contains both male lions and female lions, which are called lionesses. Usually prides contain up to forty lions (adults and babies, called "cubs"). A single pride can cover up to 150 miles of ground when hunting. Lions are carnivores, which means they eat meat. Lionesses are particularly cunning hunters. They hunt in small groups and while one lioness chases the prey, the rest wait to ambush the prey when it comes near. If a hunting lioness has cubs another lioness will often babysit the cubs while the mother hunts.
Even though lionesses usually catch the food, male lions always eat first. It can take a group of lions up to four hours to finish eating, and even then they don't consume everything. Scavengers like hyenas and vultures finish up what lions leave behind. After eating a big meal a lion can spend 20 minutes or more drinking water to wash it down. In the wild, lions only eat a couple times per week.
You can tell a male and female lion apart by their appearance. Full-grown males always have "manes", shaggy hair around their face and neck. Lionesses don't have manes.
The global lion population is declining. But most zoos contain captive lions, and there are safe preserves in various places around the world where the lion population is regenerating. Lions and people don't mix very well, because lions may consider people prey. Still, lions are beautiful animals that most people cherish, and they will be admired for generations to come.
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