Lions have long been regarded as a symbol of ferocity, power and strength – and for good reason. If anything, they are known to be one of the most majestic and fascinating animals known to humankind. Whether you are intrigued by a lion’s massive mane, those great roars, or those playful antics to keep their cubs entertained, there’s so much about lions that should be appreciated. As a high-profile celebrity within the animal kingdom, given below are 7 interesting facts about lions that you should teach your children about the king of the jungle:
Top 7 Interesting Facts About Lions That You Should Tell Your Kids
Lions live in prides
Lions are said to be the only big cats who live in groups. These groups are actually called prides and are basically 
what you can consider family groups. Within a pride, lions continue to work together in order to hunt and even
defend their territory. Most of the hunting is done by the females in the pride, all of whom work together as a group and use their outstanding hunting skills to catch prey. Considering that most of their prey is faster than them, it just might not be possible for lions to hunt on an individual basis, which is why they do so in groups.
They communicate through a variety of behaviors
Lions communicate rather proactively with each other. For this purpose, they use a range of behaviors and
Lions saying Hello
vocalizations. What makes them stand out amongst all other big cats is the fact that they have highly developed expressive movements. For communication purposes, they perform several tactile yet peaceful actions. These include rubbing heads and even licking each other. If anything, nuzzling or head rubbing is a rather common behavior amongst lions and is meant to greet each other. In terms of vocalizations, some of the most commonly used vocals for communications include meows, purrs, hissing, and snarls. For the record, it is normal for their vocalizations to vary in terms of pitch and intensity.
Lions were once found across the world
This is an interesting lion fact that not many people are aware of. There was a time when lions were actually found across Asia, Africa, and Europe. However, with the passage of time, these fascinating creatures have gone extinct and can now only be found in Africa. However, there’s an exception that you should know of. The last of the Asiatic lions live in the Sasan-Gir National Park in India. This park was actually created as a means of protecting the species. From what is known, the national park is home to over 300 lions at the moment.
Lionesses can be careless mothers
Lionesses typically give birth to two or three cubs after a gestation period of about 105 days. However, not all
Lioness with her kids
lionesses make good mothers. This is because some of them tend to lose interest in their cubs very quickly. So do all such abandoned cubs die? Not necessarily. This is because there are usually several litters at a time and lionesses naturally allow not just their own but any cubs to suckle. This means that there is a high chance of survival for neglected cubs as they are taken in by other lionesses.
Humans are the only predators of lions
Over the passage of time, man has killed lions for various purposes. This includes tribal rituals of bravery, trophy hunts for their walls, and even reckless killing to get rid of lions that kill their cattle. Humans have long been the only predators of lions. Although these majestic creatures are protected by the law in most places, it is fairly normal for them to be killed by the stock’s owner if they kill cattle for food.
They love lazing around
Lions are perhaps the laziest amidst all big cats. On average, these majestic beings spend anywhere between 16 and
Interesting Lion Facts: Lazy
20 hours every single day resting and sleeping. With their love for lazing around, they actually have very few sweat glands, which makes it possible for lions to conserve their energy by resting as much as possible during the day. This works well as it allows them to become far more active during the night when it’s cooler.
They have excellent night vision
Lions have excellent night vision. The eyes of a lion are known to be nearly six times more sensitive to light as compared to those of a human being. This is basically a major advantage that lions have over their prey and perhaps the reason why they choose to hunt mostly at night.
