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So you think you know lions…?

Expert Image
nicolawade11 in Botswana,, Kenya,, South Africa,, Tanzania,, Uganda,, African Adventures,, On Safari,, Quirky Stuff,, Wildlife,,
July 14th, 2010 at 4:20pm
Tags: Lions,

You are coming to Africa for the Big5 experience. Let’s see, that includes leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino and of course the mighty lion. We all know he is king of beasts right? And maybe you think a lion is a lion is a lion... Well, here are some interesting facts about lions that you might not have known before...

Lions in general:

Both male and female lions roar, and that roar can be heard over five miles away!

Lions are the second largest living feline species, second only to the tiger.

While lions are inactive up to 21 hours a day, in the darkest, coolest hours of early morning the "queens of beasts" hunt as a team to catch a communal meal.


Although only one out of five hunting events is successful, dominant males always eat first, lionesses next, and cubs scramble for scraps and leftovers.

Black Maned Lions

The darker manes of these lions is a physical manifestation of higher levels of testosterone meaning lions with darker manes are healthier, stronger and able to recover faster after injury.


It is therefore no surprise that when faced with a choice; lionesses prefer to mate with the dark maned variety as it means their offspring will inherit these genes and stand a better chance of survival. While their range is all over Africa, black maned lions can be found predominately in the Kalahari, Masai Mara and Kruger National Park.

White lions


Only found in South Africa, white lions are regarded as divine by locals. The population of white lion is not known but the most recent count was in 2004 where it was concluded that 30 were alive.


White lions are not albino, but the colour is caused by a recessive gene knows as chinchilla or colour inhibitor. They have pigment visible in the eyes (which may be the normal hazel or golden color, blue-gray, or green-gray), paw pads and lips.

Blue-eyed white lions exist and may be selectively bred.

Tree climbers


There are only 2 populations of lions in the world that climb trees. Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda and Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania.

While it is not actually known WHY these lions climb trees it is speculated they do it in order to escape the tsetse flies which rarely go above 5m, and of course, to enjoy a cool breeze.

Duba Swamp Lions


Marooned on an island in the middle of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, these lions should have died out, but in an evolutionary twist they have adapted instead.

As a result of a purely cape buffalo diet and an unusual progression to swimming, these lions have become SUPERSIZED. Bigger, fearless and ferocious, scientists have now confirmed that these females are now as large as the males on the mainland!

And this is only a few of the variations of the species... So when next you spot a lion on a game drive, what you might be watching may well be a rare and unique experience that should be treasured.




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Recent Comments

  • 1: 

    Great blog: informative, to the point and compelling imagery. And, somewhat galling for an ex-safari guide, I learnt a lot about a species that I thought I knew a lot about.

    Expert on the Ground
    thefynbosguy
    July 14th, 2010 at 5:30pm

  • 2: 

    Fantastic blog, really learnt alot from this - it is amazing how much one doesn’t know about Africa’s biggest cat! I’ve seen black-maned lions in the Kalahari - and it was one of the highlights of my wildlife experiences - there is something so regal and powerful about a lion with a dark mane.

    Professional Expert
    kimberoo
    July 15th, 2010 at 8:48am

  • 3: 

    Thanks Kimberoo and Fynbosguy! It was so much fun researching everything for it too, and this i just the tip of the iceberg as to all i learnt! I have alot more respect for lions now than i did before, thats for sure.

    Traveller expert
    NicolaWade11
    July 15th, 2010 at 9:05am

  • 4: 

    Thanks for this blog - really interesting. It also highlights a big safety point on safari - don’t get out the vehicle, it’s not a cute kitty!
    Do you know anything about the elephant hunting lions… Botswana, I think? I heard this pride had dispersed, but would be keen to know the latest.

    Professional Expert
    Kate-Erskine
    July 15th, 2010 at 1:56pm

  • 5: 

    Hi Kate, as a matter of fact i do have info on them. There as a super-pride (40plus) lions in Savute andobviouslyas the pride grew in numbers so did the need for food. This basically led to the pride becomespecialized in hunting very very large prey…namely elephants! However over the past 3 years the pride has indeed split and broken up into several smaller prides so they could focus on smaller, less dangerous prey.

    Traveller expert
    NicolaWade11
    July 15th, 2010 at 2:04pm

  • 6: 

    Great blog! Great images! Really educational. I certainly learned a thing or two!

    Professional Expert
    claudiskies
    July 15th, 2010 at 3:00pm

  • 7: 

    Awesome blog! The images are phenomenal, very informative will definitely look at lions in a different way after this.

    Professional
    Nerene
    July 22nd, 2010 at 8:27am

  • 8: 

    Excellent blog - you forgot some of the most ferocious lions in Kenya though! In Tsavo when the railway line from capital to coast was being built many of the labourers were attached and killed by the black maned lions here - the movie Ghost and the Darkness is based on this. Love the picture of the mother and cub!

    Professional Expert
    Lauren
    July 23rd, 2010 at 3:57pm

  • 9: 

    Thanks Lauren,actuallywas a wealth of information i had to leave out otherwise the blog would have just been far too long! I can do a So You Think you Know Lions version 1.2 if you are interested! smile

    Traveller expert
    NicolaWade11
    July 26th, 2010 at 8:30am

  • 10: 

    Very interesting blog Nicola, and such great pics. I learned a lot, particularly about black-maned and swamp lions, and would definitely be interested in the 1.2 version!

    Professional Expert
    SandraMallinson
    July 26th, 2010 at 8:56am

  • 11: 

    always the most popular on a game drive!

    Professional Expert
    emmagass
    January 26th, 2011 at 12:50pm

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