African lion

« The male lion has a powerful voice, which he will readily make heard! »

The undisputed king!

And yet he does the least work…

The lion’s charisma and majestic appearance has earned it the moniker of king of the animals. This great predator watches over his territory and his court, consisting of lionesses and their young, just like a real monarch. It is these females that do most of the hunting, supplying the group with food. These daring hunters quietly surround their chosen prey. Some will allow themselves to be seen whilst others lie in wait, just a few dozen metres or so from their quarry. They then converge on their target by charging at speeds of 25 to 40 mph!

Did you know?

Its all action with the lions!

Introducing lion cubs

In this episode of “Un Œil en Coulisse”, find out how our lion cubs were introduced to the rest of the lion family. An eventful encounter!

Beauval Nature fights to defend the African lion

In 2011, the PANTHERA association evaluated the status of endangered species in the Niokolo-Koba park in Senegal. The findings were alarming: due to the many pressures (illegal artisanal mining, poaching, bush fires, etc.) that affect this biosphere reserve, the lions’ situation in the park was disturbing.

This is why Beauval Nature supports the PANTHERA association in order to fight against these pressures and preserve this endangered species. This fight includes the establishment of surveillance programmes and forest guard patrols, amongst other things.

Find out about this programme

Krüger

Krüger is a young lion, full of energy and with an appetite to match; he can devour half a dozen chickens in just one meal!

He is an excellent group leader and is the head of Beauval’s pride of lions. He is also the father of many adorable lion cubs.

Lions’ news

Lion d’Afrique - Animaux extraordinaires du ZooParc

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Learn more about the species

Range

Africa

Diet

Carnivore
Gestation period

3½ months
Litter size

1 to 6 young
Habitat

Mountains, Savannahs

What is the lion’s mane for?

If you are asked to picture a lion in your head, the first thing you think of will likely be its impressive mane. This crown of hair is more than a simple ornament and acts like armour to protect the king of the animals. Disputes over territory can be particularly violent. The mane’s density helps absorb the impact of paw strikes, scratches, and bites that the combatants inflict on each other. The mane also plays a role in temperature regulation, which is hugely beneficial when living under the blazing sun of Central Africa.

Roaring with pleasure

The male lion has a powerful voice, which he will readily make heard! Although a male lion can growl to assert his dominance or to warn a rival, this is nothing compared to his impressive roar. This remarkable sound rumbles throughout the African savannah at sunset. The lion can keep up this deep and raucous noise, which can be heard over long distances, for almost an hour! It seems as if these roars are intended for other animals that are in the vicinity, particularly other lions, to remind them of his presence in the territory.

Sleeping like a lion

The male lion is one of the biggest sleepyheads in the animal kingdom! All cats spend long periods of the day sleeping, but the lion beats the rest of them hands down. Only one species spends more time asleep than the king of the animals, and that is the koala. But do you know how many hours a male lion can spend resting each day? No less than 20 hours!