African Lion

Lions live in groups called prides. There can be from from 3 to 30 lions in a pride. A pride contains many females and their young, and a few males. The lionesses rule the pride, working together to hunt and raise the cubs. But the adult males play an important role as well. They guard the pride and protect its territory.

Lions need large territories to hunt successfully, and habitat loss is a problem facing lion populations. Lions are also viewed as a threat to livestock by ranchers. Ranchers may shoot lions or poison carcasses to keep them away from their livestock. 

One of the most widely recognised animal symbols in human culture, the lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire and have been a key species sought for exhibition in zoological gardens across the world since the late 18th century. Cultural depictions of lions were prominent in the Upper Paleolithic period; carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves in France have been dated to 17,000 years ago, and depictions have occurred in virtually all ancient and medieval cultures that coincided with the lion's former and current ranges.

CHARITY PARTNER

Since 1984, the Born Free Foundation have been working tirelessly to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect. They work across the world to preserve and protect wildlife in its natural habitat – finding Compassionate Conservation solutions so that humans and wildlife can co-exist peacefully. 

Born Free Foundation enhances the survival of threatened species in the wild and protect natural habitats while respecting the needs and safeguarding the welfare of individual animals.  They seek to have a positive impact on animals in the wild and protect their ecosystems in perpetuity, for their own intrinsic value and for the critical roles they play within the natural world.

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