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lion

Large wild cat with a tawny coat. The young have darker spot markings to camouflage them; these usually disappear with adulthood. The male has a heavy mane and a tuft at the end of the tail. Head and body measure about 2 m/6 ft, plus 1 m/3 ft of tail; lionesses are slightly smaller. Lions produce litters of two to six cubs, and often live in groups (prides) of several adult males and females with young. They are carnivores and are found only in Africa, south of the Sahara desert, and in the Gir Forest of northwest India.

Behaviour

Capable of short bursts of speed, lionesses do most of the hunting, working together to run down grazing animals. Females remain with the pride permanently; young males remain until they about three years old and one or more adult males (usually brothers) stay a couple of years or so until they are supplanted by a competing coalition of males. The incoming males, or male, kill all the cubs in a pride so that the lionesses become ready to breed again. When not hunting, lions spend most of their time dozing and sleeping. The average lifespan of a lion is 15-20 years in the wild and 20-25 years in captivity.

They belong to the cat family, Felidae, genus Panthera (which also includes tigers, leopards, and jaguars), species P. Leo.

The Asiatic lion is listed on CITES Appendix 1 (endangered); its total population numbered only 250-300 in 1996. In April 2001, there were estimated to be fewer than 15,000 lions in the wild worldwide.

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sea lion