Lion

Facts

IUCN VULNERABLE (VU)

Facts about this animal

The Lion is an unmistakable, large and powerfully built cat with a uniform coat and a black tuft at the end of the tail and a mane (males). The head-body length is 140-250 cm with a shoulder height of 80-110 cm. The weight is 150-250 kg in males and 120-185 kg in females. The lioness is notably smaller and lighter than the male and maneless. Lions have a broad face with a relatively long muzzle.

The face of the male is framed by a yellow, brown, or almost black mane. The ears are short, rounded and with black marks on the basal part on the backside. The fore limbs are more powerfully built than the hind limbs. The coat is short and uniform. The colour is varying from ochraceous silvery-grey to dark ochre-brown. The young are marked with ochraceous rosette-like spots mainly on the belly and legs. The coat is woolly and they are maneless.

Did you know?
that, if a young male lion fights off an older lion and takes over his pride, he will immediately kill all the cubs in the pride? This forces the lionesses to go back into season and they soon mate with him and have his cubs.

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	CARNIVORA
Suborder	FISSIPEDIA
Family	FELIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Panthera leo
Name (English)	Lion
Name (French)	Lion
Name (German)	Löwe
Name (Spanish)	León
CITES Status	Panthera leo - all African populations: Appendix II. Panthera leo persica: Appendix I
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Valerie Abbott

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Africa, India (Gir forest)
Habitat	Savannas and forests
Wild population	African lion:30,000 to 100,000 (1996) (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	Panthera leo:1138 reported to ISIS (2005) Panthera leo persica: 106 reported to ISIS (2005)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

Transport crates should be sufficiently large to meet legal requirements, sufficiently strong to prevent escape or damage to the crate and animal, and have an adequate number of handles. Basic design should allow free flow of air through multiple sides of the container. A double door design on each end of the crate should be used. The "inner" door on each end should have bars to contain the animal, and the "outer" door should consist of a thin panel of expanded metal that provides safety for the handlers. The doors on each end of the crate should travel vertically to facilitate animal transfer and contain a secure locking system. The crate should drain well, and absorbent bedding should be used to prevent the animal from being exposed to or lying in urine or excreta. The crate should be of a size that allows easy lifting, transport and movement through doorways.

The shipment should be organised in a way to minimise stress. The animal should have access to its transport crate for 2 weeks before shipment, preferably being fed within it. If an extended trip is anticipated, water and eventually food should be provided while the animal is in transit. Ideally one of the animal's keepers should accompany it during transport, providing for its care and helping it adjust to the new environment.

For air transport, Container Note 72 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

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Photo Copyright by
THomas Jermann

Why do zoos keep this animal

The lion, King of the animals, is one of the most charismatic species kept by zoos. Apart from serving as a model for art classes and being of great educational value for biology teachers, it is a top ambassador species for the ecosystems it inhabits, and many of which have become threatened.

The Asian lion, surviving only in a small part of India, is critically endangered. Therefore an International Studbook was set up in 1971 under the WAZA umbrella and there are regional conservation breeding programmes operated by AZA and EAZA. AZA and ARAZPA have also programmes for maintaining self-sustained African lion populations in their zoos.

How this animal should be kept

Legal requirements for the keeping of large cats vary greatly from country to country. Even if lower national standards apply, it is recommended that an outdoor enclosure of 500 m² per pair, or a female with offspring if kept separate, should be provided. The enclosure should be enlarged by 50 m² for each additional adult. Covered enclosures should be at least 3.5 m high. In cold and temperate climatic zones, an indoor enclosure of at least 15 m² per adult animal is necessary, where a minimum temperature of 15°C should be maintained.

Dens should contain at least an elevated resting place and, for providing drinking water, a good solid metal dish that is cleaned every day and heavy enough not to be knocked over easily, or a licksit, or an automatically filled bowl that can be easily disassembled for cleaning. There should be at least one den more than there are animals. The dens should be interconnected and connected to the outdoor enclosure by slide doors. Slides are better horizontal than vertical, and should be positioned so the keeper can see the area around the slide clearly while operating it. Hydraulics are unnecessary for lions. The animals should have access to the outdoor enclosure all year round.

Outdoor enclosures should be well drained. They should have natural soil with a grass cover or a layer of sand or marly limestone. Enclosures must not be empty but suitably furnished to meet the lions' needs such as the following: Visual barriers to enable the lions to hide from one another, e.g. rises/dips in the ground, logs, rocks, plantings, but these should not allow one cat to corner another, there should always be an escape route. Trees for scratching and shade, but not too near the fence. Platforms or a hill for sitting on and overlooking a view - if possible, one in the shade and one in the sun. Plants that smell strong and/or attract insects add interest. There must be several resting places providing some protection from inclement weather

Lions are social animals and should be kept in groups of a male ansd several females, or in bachelor groups. In smaller enclosures females should be separated before giving birth and initially when rearing. There should be a cubbing den; dry, dark, quiet, warm, draught-free, positioned in the least disturbed part of the facility. A wooden den in this for giving birth is an option but not essential if the den is well designed. A low-light video camera in this is good if there is the money for it. A keeper spyhole is an option instead but take care that using it does not disturb the mother.

Fencing: minimum 4m high strong wire mesh with 1m internal overhang at 45 degrees and at least one strand of hotwire, preferably two. Good locations for hotwire are halfway up where a cat would kick the fence going up, and at the top. A good proportion of the border should be visually opaque so that the cats do not feel that they are overlooked from all sides. If a water moat is used, the lions' jumping and swimming abilities have to be taken into account, as well as the potential risk of freezing.

Access to outside enclosure for regular cleaning should be through either the indoor facility or a lock chamber so that there is more security. There should be at least two lockable doors between a cat and the outside world at any time. Doors should open inward; that way if a door is not locked and a cat pushes on it, it stays closed. There can also be a large gate directly from the outside enclosure to the outside world for occasional use when wanting to bring in a new tree or large log or other enclosure furniture.

The diet should consist of entire carcases, meat on the bone, eventually with skin, supplemented with mineral salts and vitamins, and occasionally offals. In North America commercial diets consisting of minced meat with mineral and vitamin supplements are available. Such feed is, however, not deemed to be in compliance with animal welfare regulations of many countries in Europe and possibly elsewhere. When feeding poultry, it should be considered that all large cats are susceptible to virulent strains of avian influenza.