Lifespan
Up to 16 years for lionesses
Up to 12 years for lions
Wildlife Reserves Singapore Group
Lifespan
Up to 12 years for lions
Diet
like zebra and wildebeest
Habitat
and dry thorn forests
Range
to northern South Africa
Lions live in social groups known as prides, made up of one or more mature males, several closely-related females and their young. Males roar and spray urine to advertise their territory to rivals. Females work in teams to take down prey, encircling the prey and blocking escape routes. The lionesses do most of the hunting but the dominant male gets the lion’s share. Only after he’s had his fill do the females have their turn. The young can only pick at the remains.
The only cat to sport one, the mane is believed to protect the lion’s throat from the bites of other males during territorial fights. Females prefer males with prominent dark manes, which are more likely to be stronger, more experienced males that would stay on with the pride and protect the females and their cubs for longer. Studies have confirmed that a heavy-maned lion signals health and strength to rival males, prompting them to think twice before challenging him.
Learn more about our wildlife from the people who know best – the keepers. In this interactive session, hear interesting quirks of the animals from our keepers.
^Not available on 6 Nov and 4 Dec 2017.
To prove their hunting prowess, Maasai warriors slew lions and cut off their mane and tail. These are then passed to their womenfolk for beading. The mane was worn during special occasions and the tail kept in the warrior’s camp. This ancient practice and all lion hunting are now banned in East Africa.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
At relatively low risk of extinction
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
At high risk of extinction in the wild
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Survives only in captivity
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity
