The Lion (Panthera leo)
- Deon Furstenburg
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
The cats are divided into two families: (a) Felinae the non-roaring purring cats, (b) Pantherinae the roaring cats, which include the lion (Panthera leo), the leopard (P. pardus), the American jaguar (P. onca), and the Asian tiger (P. tigris).
Two living lion subspecies persist today: the African lion (Panthera leo) and the Asiatic lion (P. l. persica). Fossil evidence, including 3.5‑million‑year‑old bone fragments from Tanzania, links modern lions to ancient big‑cat lineages alongside sabre‑toothed predators such as Smilodon fatalis, which vanished from North America around 10 000 years ago.
Roaring capability sets lions and their Panthera cousins apart from Felinae cats. An elastic hyoid ligament in the throat provides unrestricted movement of the larynx, producing the deep, far-carrying calls synonymous with Africa’s grasslands.
Unlike any other felid, lions are highly social: Prides range from four to more than fifty individuals, with adult males reaching up to 272 kg and females up to 152 kg.
Lions patrol 11–33 km of territory per night—when most hunting occurs—and spend daylight hours resting in shaded thickets or near waterholes.
Within the pride, lionesses shoulder the bulk of the hunt, yet the feeding order places dominant males first, followed by females, and finally cubs. Young cubs form a nursery, or “crèche,” under the watch of one or two adult females while the rest of the pride hunts. Any lactating female will nurse cubs indiscriminately, ensuring maximum survival for the next generation.
Pride leadership rests with a coalition of two to four brother males, all born to the same pride and who have overthrown previous rulers through fierce combat. They maintain dominance until displaced by a younger male alliance.
Today, fewer than 18 000 lions remain in the wild, with only three distinct genetic lineages surviving in South Africa. Ongoing threats, including habitat loss, human conflict, and controversial government policies regarding private game farms, place these apex predators at serious risk of further decline.
Additional important information is available at:
Captive bred lion relocation success, Ph.D. Study:
Nicholson et al (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00959-3
Miller, S.M., Kotze, A., Harper, C.K., Bishop, J.M., et al. (2023) Genetic diversity and origin of captive lion (Panthera leo) in South Africa: an assessment and comparison to wild populations. Conservation Genetics.
Selier, J., Miller, S.M., Coverdale, B., Ferreira, S., et al (2024) Wild lions in small, fenced reserves in South Africa conform to a meta-population https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12341
Gazette 19 Sept (2023). Publication of The Draft Notice Prohibiting Certain Activities Involving African Lion (Panthera Leo) For Public Comment, NEMBA, Gazette, 19 September 2023 No. 49383. https://www.wrsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/nemba_africanlionprohibitedactivities_g493838gon3926_Searchable.pdf
HLP (2020). High-Level Panel Report of experts for the review of policies, legislation, and practices on matters of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling, to the minister of Environment, Forestry & Fisheries, (15 Dec 2020).
Comments