Lion Facts

What lions eat.

The most common prey are zebras, giraffes, pigs, cape buffalo, antelope, and wildebeests,of course they're happy to eat human beings as well. Most prefer their humans with catch up, mustard, pickles, lettuce and a little mayo on a sesame bun. (Just kidding!)

Lion enemies.

Humans are considered the worst enemies of the lion, particularly from cattle ranchers who poach, poison and hunt them to protect their herds. Lions are also hunted for sport, which diminishes their numbers.

What lions look like.

Like many other animals, male lions are much larger and heavier than females.  The heaviest male lion recorded was spotted in Kenya and was 272 kilograms.  Much smaller in comparison, the heaviest female, found in South Africa, was 152 kilograms.  That is still heavier than the weight of more than 50 female pet cats put together! Lions have three types of teeth:

1.   Incisors, the smallest teeth at the front of the mouth, are used for gripping and tearing meat.

2.   Canines, the four largest teeth (either side of the incisors), can reach up to 7 centimeters in length.  They are used to rip skin and tear away meat.

3.   Classical, the sharpest teeth at the back of the mouth, act like a pair of scissors to cut meat.

Lions can open their jaws to up 10½ centimeters wide, giving them one of the animal kingdom’s biggest bites!

Where lions live.

Lions occur throughout that region, except in the equatorial rain forest and in the heavily populated regions along the southern coast of the western portion of the continent.