FAQs about Lions: Where do lions live? What Do Lions Eat?

Where do lions live?

Lions live in sub-Saharan Africa – their native habitat.  They occupy a wide variety of habitats such as open grasslands, woodlands, thick bush, and thick, scrubby areas. Other than African lions, a small, isolated population of Asiatic lions live in India’s Gir National Park.

Generally, lions have a relatively broad habitat tolerance, being historically absent only from tropical rainforests. They are also absent in very arid deserts although some have adopted to live in deserts such as areas of Namibia using the little water and prey available along waterways.

Lions can also be found in zoos, on beaches (Saadani National Park, Tanzania, and on the Skeleton Coast in Namibia) and on mountain ridges.

What are lions?

Lions (Panthera leo) are land mammals that belong to the cat family and are mainly referred to as big cats. They are carnivorous predators that primarily feed on hoofed mammals such as buffalo, wildebeests and zebras among others.

Since they are opportunistic hunters, they will also eat smaller prey like impalas, warthogs and gazelles or scavenge meat from the carcasses of dead animals when there is scarcity of food.

Adult males weigh between 120 and 190kgs (260 to 420 pounds) and stand between 1.2 and 1.4 meters (4 to 4.5 feet) tall at the shoulder while adult females are slightly smaller.

Lions have a yellow-gold coat with a tufted tail. While males often have manes of different colours from yellow-gold to dark brown or black, females, called lionesses do not usually have.

How do lions find food?

Lions find food by hunting in coordinated groups called prides, scavenging for food by feeding on carcasses or remains of other animals killed by predators or died from natural causes and by stealing kills from other predators such as wild dogs, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and even other lions.

They also rarely prey on other lions if they are injured or weak. This behavior however is more common in males than females.

Females (lionesses) do most of the hunting unlike the males. They rely on stealth and speed to approach their prey before launching a coordinated attack. Males sometimes join in for the hunt but are usually more involved in defending their territory and pride.

What do lions eat?

Lions eat large animals such as buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, gazelles and warthog. They also kill and eat smaller animals like rodents and reptiles in times of scarcity. Since they are opportunistic hunters they will steal kills and carcasses from other predators like hyenas.

Where do lions live in Africa?

Lions live in the East African countries of Tanzania (Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Lake Manyara National Park); Kenya (Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park and Nairobi National Park); Uganda (Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park) and Rwanda (Akagera National Park)

They also live in the Southern African countries of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe where the majority of Africa’s last wild lions still roam the plains.

If lion sighting in the pristine wildernesses of Africa is your top priority, then travelling to these countries offers better opportunities for watching them interact and hunt in their natural habitat.

Do lions eat humans?

Although humans are not their closest prey, lions usually prey on humans when they are not capable of hunting large animals like buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest due to old age. This is because humans don’t run very fast, and are easier to catch than their usual prey.

The most famous examples of lions killing and eating humans are the cases of Tsavo Man-Eating lions of Kenya that killed around 28–31 people in 1898, and certain areas in Tanzania (Njombe District) between 1932 and 1947.

What do lions hunt the most?

Lions hunt buffalo, zebra and wildebeest the most. These animals are quite slower and easier to catch than gazelles and antelopes. Lions hunt in groups also known as a pride. Lionesses do the hunting in most cases than lions although they take very little part. Lions are responsible for the security and safety of the pride against other predators or intruders.

Can lions climb trees?

Yes! Lions climb trees specifically for a special type called tree climbing-lions. However, normal lions could also try climbing trees. To be able to climb, they must select the right kind of tree such as umbrella acacia thorn trees and African sycamore fig trees.

These trees are low and have horizontal branches. Tree-climbing lions can be found in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania.