Since the lion is considered as the “king of the jungle”, it will be quite reasonable to seek a jungle and find a relatively safe place within so that one can closely observe this wild animal. But too few lions ever pass under the shady canopy of trees. Most lions don’t actually live in jungles. Lions inhabit the grasslands, woodlands, and savannas.

Among the drying grasses and the scorching heat of the sun, one can find a lion crouched silently, hidden from the nervous eyes of its prey. The prey can be a wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, buffalo, impala, and wild hogs. But lions are not choosy. They feed on just about anything which has meat. And this includes birds, hares, and even reptiles.

Upon choosing a prey, the lion can give a short chase at 50 miles per hour. It is not as fast as the cheetah, but when the prey is within range, the lion can leap to about 36 feet. When the prey is down, the lion crouches down and feed. When standing up, the male lion is about four feet high at the shoulders. The body length can be 5 to 8 feet, and the tail, with the tuft at the end, is at least 3 feet.

Male lions, with its characteristic mane, are larger than the female lions. They typically live for about 15 years in the wild. But when in captivity, a lion can live up to 24 years. With such a strong body, one would think that lions live solitary lives, like all other cats. But lions are social animals. They stay in groups called “prides”.

A pride is usually made up of about 15 lions, in which most are females and one to three male lions. The male lions stay in the pride for about 2 to 4 years only. After that, the male lions hunt by themselves. The male lion leaves the pride not because he wanted to, but because he is beaten by another male lion. This stronger lion then becomes the “head” of the pride.

The female lions rarely fight each other. All of them are related and they are tasked to hunt for the food of the pride. A typical female lion can give birth to 3-4 cubs. A lactating female lion can give milk to any cub, even the ones which were not born to her.

The female lions usually hunt at night. This classifies them as nocturnal hunters. But when the lions are not hunting, they spend the majority of their time sleeping. A lion normally sleeps 20 hours a day.