WILDLIFE LION WHY CALL HIM KING!

WILDLIFE LION WHY CALL HIM KING!

Scientific name: Panthera leo is a species of carnivorous mammal of the genus Panthera and the family Felidae.

The species is currently found in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, with a single endangered population remaining, in the Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat, India.

It went extinct in North Africa and Southwest Asia in historical times, and until the Late Pleistocene, about 10,000 years ago, it was the most widespread large land mammal after humans, being found in most of Africa, in much of Eurasia , from Western Europe to India, and in America, from Yukon to Mexico.

It is one of the four big cats, with some males exceeding 250 kilograms in weight, being the second largest recent feline after the tiger.

The coat is unicolor brown in color, and the males have a characteristic mane.

One of the most striking features of the species is the presence of a tuft of black fur on the tail, which also has a spur.

It preferentially inhabits savannas and open pastures, but can be found in more shrubby regions.

It is a sociable animal that lives in groups consisting of the lionesses and their cubs, the dominant male and some young males that have not yet reached sexual maturity.

The diet consists mainly of large ungulates and they have nocturnal and crepuscular habits, resting and sleeping most of the day.

Lions live around 10-14 years in the wild, while in captivity they can live for up to 30 years.

Some animals developed the habit of attacking and devouring humans, becoming known as "man-eaters".

The species is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and has suffered a population decline of 30-50% in the last two decades in African territory.

In Asia, the lion is confined to a single protected area and its population is stable, but it is classified as "endangered" as the population is no more than 350 animals.

Among the threats, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the main reasons for concern in its conservation.

For hundreds of years, the lion has been used as a symbol of bravery and nobility in various civilizations and cultures in Europe, Asia and Africa.