CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO

Vernacular Name: African Lion

Scientific Name: Panthera Leo

Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae

Geographic Range: Africa, south of the Sahara; Asian, India (Gir forest).

Habitat: Semi-open plains.

Physical Characteristics:

• Light tawny coat with white on abdomen and inside of legs; backs of ears are black.
• Male mane ranges in color from tawny to reddish brown to black. Mane gets darker as male ages. Mane provides protection from aggressor’s teeth and claws.
• Coat of immature lion has rosette pattern. Pattern may remain on abdomen and legs of some adults.
• Male is larger than females. Male may be 11 ft. from head to tail and weigh up to 550 lbs. with a shoulder height of 4 ft.
• Female is smaller and may weigh up to 400 lbs.

• Lions are sociable and live in prides (up to 40 individuals, but usually around 15) consisting of related females (with young) and unrelated males (transient).
• Females do most of the hunting.
• Males defend territory and pride.
• Normally hunt in open country at night and in heavier vegetation during the day.
• Rest up to 20 hours a day.
• May eat as much as one quarter of its body weight at one time.
• Vision and hearing are more important for hunting than sense of smell.
• Sense of smell is important for communication (keeping pride together, establishing territory, and finding a mate).

• Secondary consumer.
• May be diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular.
• Mark territory by roaring, urinating, and patrolling.

• Gestation period – 110-119 days.
• Litter of 2-4 cubs weighing about 2-3 lbs. each.
• Cubs born in secluded nursery; cubs introduced to pride at 4-6 weeks old.
• Cubs remain with mother two years reaching sexual maturity at 34-46 months in the wild.
• New males to pride may kill all the cubs so females will come into estrus and reproduce offspring of the new males.
• Females will suckle another’s young.

• Largest savanna predator. Will hunt medium to large prey (giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, and antelope).
• Opportunistic feeder. Will eat rodents, hares, small birds, reptiles and even carrion.
• Cubs preyed upon by leopards and hyenas.

• African lion (Panthera leo     ) habitat needed to support lion prey is rapidly diminishing, threatened by the spread of Tuberculosis and Canine Distemper in the wild.
• Asian lion (Panthera leo persica) lives only in Gir forest in NW India and is endangered.

• Roars can be heard up to five miles away.
• European lions exterminated 80-100 AD

Location at Zoo: Lions Lair across from Tapirs and near the Monkey House. Our resident male African lion is being introduced to a new breeding female. Both of these African lions were born in African and imported. 

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4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Road Colorado Springs, CO  80906 Phone(719)633-9925  Fax (719)633-2254