Lions, belonging to the genus Panthera, are currently divided into two subgroups: African lions and Asian lions. They are large cats that live in Africa and Asia. The lion is the largest cat by average weight, and the only cat in the world that differs in male and female appearance.


Male lions have long manes, which are light brown, dark brown, black, extending to the shoulders and chest; while female lions have no mane. African lions are distributed in the grasslands south of the Sahara Desert in Africa, and the current Asian lions are only distributed in a small amount in the Gir region of India. Lions are similar to other cats in their habits. They spend most of the day lying down and resting in the shade, dozing lazily.


Lions have the strongest sense of group, and they can live in harmony. Lions and tigers also have the title of king of beasts, but tigers are solitary animals, while lions are highly social animals. Generally speaking, a lion pride has about a dozen lions. The core of the lion group is four 4-5 female lions, who have lived and grown together since childhood and have a close blood relationship. There are only 1-2 male lions. These male lions patrol and defend their territory, marking territory by urinating on their own. Adult male lions can generally be the leader of the pride for a few months to several years, depending on whether they are strong enough to defeat exotic males.


Lion cubs generally stay in the pride for three years, after which the young males are expelled from the pride and left to live on their own.


The appearance of the lion looks domineering, especially the male lion. The domineering appearance and the earth-shattering roar give other creatures in nature a sense of arrogance, but they seldom hunt. In a lion tribe, lionesses are responsible for 80-90% of the hunting, while males are responsible for guarding the territory and cubs. And, even more surprising, when the lioness returns with prey, the male lion is fed first. When the male lion is full, it is the female lion's turn to eat, and the last remaining part is the cub's turn.


Although they are kings in nature, lions are still a little vulnerable in front of humans. In fact, lions used to have a very wide range. Today, there may be fewer than 30,000 lions in the world. Also, some countries do not have laws against lion hunting. In the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the African lion has been listed as a vulnerable species, while the Asian lion (only found in India) has been listed as an endangered species.