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Lions, the king of beasts.

The very first image that many people think of when thinking of Africa is that of a Lion. The lion, Panthera leo, is the biggest of the cats in Africa and in Namibia in particular.

Lions mainly have a light brown or tawny colour coat. It is a stockily built animal, the males being heavier than the females. Like all cat species the lion has strong legs made for running and jumping. A broad flat muzzle combined with big canine teeth, the lion is a fearful sight. It has immense paws with retractable claws that are one of its primary weapons. The long tail is present in all the cat species to assist with balance. The males have a mane, and the reason for this mane is two fold. First of all it can attract females if it is a big enough mane, and secondly it makes the lion look bigger than it actually is, thus intimidating opponents if need be. It also provides some protection to the neck and shoulder areas during a fight.

Lioness

Lions

Lion in the grass

Lions are one of the laziest species. At least 5 to 7 hours is spent just laying around in the sun or in the shade of trees. This of course has the advantage of not a lot of energy being spent. Lions have short bursts of activity, usually during a hunt, which is followed by this long period of relaxation. The preferred habitat of a lion is open savannah. Woodlands are also a place where lions can be found, and this is the case in Namibia. Lions prefer habitats that have an abundance of prey and enough shade. Water in the area is always an added benefit. Although lions have been prominent all over Africa, this is no longer the case. Lions are now mainly found south of the Equator, and then mainly in National Parks and Game Reserves.

Lions have a well defined social structure. A dominant male will always be present with a couple of lionesses in the group. The rest of the pride will be sub adults and offspring of some of the lionesses. Pride size will depend on the successful hunting ability of the pride, as well as prey availability. The more prey in an area the bigger the pride will be. Some prides in the Serengeti have up to 30 members in the pride. In Namibia the bigger prides consist of far fewer members. 10 to 14 animals in a pride would be quite a large one. Lionesses make up the biggest number in a pride, and they are also the main hunters in the pride. They will usually hunt in pairs; one will chase the prey towards the other that is laying in wait. When the prey is within striking distance the second lioness will spring the trap and try and capture the prey. Male lions are not effective hunters, but they are very good when it comes to protecting the carcass. Spotted Hyenas will fancy their chances if only lionesses are present, but it is another story if a big male lion is present on a carcass. Lions prefer larger prey. Their favourites must be Blue Wildebeest and Zebra, but like all cats they are opportunistic and will take what is available. They kill bigger prey for the sole reason that the food will last longer as opposed to small prey like a warthog. Lions needs to make a kill at least every fourth day, thus making killing larger prey that much more worthwhile.

Mating is an intense ritual for lions. Mating behaviour depends heavily on environmental conditions and availability of prey. Strangely enough very little aggression occurs when mating takes place. A female in heat will attract the attention of several males, but usually it will be the biggest male that will mate with her. About 4 cubs is the average litter size. Cubs are extremely vulnerable after birth. Mortality in cubs is quite high, mainly due to starvation and attack by other predators like Spotted Hyenas. Male lions are also known to have killed cubs, thus making the survival of lion cubs in the wild quite low.

The one main enemy of Lions is man. Spotted Hyenas will take cubs and are responsible for the death of some old lions, but will never take on a fully grown lion or lioness. On commercial farm land lions are not welcome at all. Due to the destruction of livestock, farmers have little pity for this king of the beasts.
There are still some free roaming prides left in Namibia, mainly in the dry and barren west of Namibia. These lions are tolerated due to their increasing value for tourism in the area. Most of the lions though, are found in places like Etosha National Park, Mahango, Mudumu and Mamili Game Reserves. Here they are free and can travel around as they see fit.



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