Animal Encounters
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African Lion
Scientific namePanthera leo
Conservation status (IUCN)
Vulnerable
The African Lion is Africa’s top carnivore and apex predator.
Sydney
Visitor tips Dubbo
Visitor tips for Sydney
You can see Lions in African Savannah.
Good times to visit
2pm
Keeper Talk
10:00am
Fun facts about African Lions
20-25yrs
is how long lions can live in a zoo environment.
Broad habitat tolerance
Lions live in open woodlands as well as thick bush, scrub, and grasslands, where there is sufficient cover for hunting and denning.
150-260kg
is the typical weight range for male lions, while females usually weigh between 120–180 kg.
Carnivores
Lions hunt and eat animals including buffalo, zebra, antelope, and wildebeest.
1-1.5m
is the height lions can grow, with males almost 50% larger than females.
Sub-Saharan Africa
is where Lions are found (Botswana, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe).
110 days
or 3-4 months is a typical gestation period for a Lion.
1-4 cubs
are born in a litter, although there has been instances of 5.
20-25yrs
is how long lions can live in a zoo environment.
Broad habitat tolerance
Lions live in open woodlands as well as thick bush, scrub, and grasslands, where there is sufficient cover for hunting and denning.
150-260kg
is the typical weight range for male lions, while females usually weigh between 120–180 kg.
Carnivores
Lions hunt and eat animals including buffalo, zebra, antelope, and wildebeest.
1-1.5m
is the height lions can grow, with males almost 50% larger than females.
Sub-Saharan Africa
is where Lions are found (Botswana, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe).
110 days
or 3-4 months is a typical gestation period for a Lion.
1-4 cubs
are born in a litter, although there has been instances of 5.
Did you know?
We bet you didn't know these facts about these boisterous big cats.
Tap the icons
Scroll across to reveal African Lion facts.
Sandpaper tongue
Lions have rough, spiney tongues! This helps them strip meat off bones when they feed.
Sisters stick together
All females in a pride are related, because lionesses stay in the same pride their whole life.
Nature at full volume
A Lions roar can be heard from up to 8km away.
Born blind
Lion cubs are born blind. Their eyes gradually open in the first 2 weeks of life.
Lion pride
A group of Lions is called a ‘pride’.
Padded paws
Lions have soft, padded paws to help them stalk silently when they hunt.
Males have manes
Male Lions have a mane, and female Lions, Lionesses, do not.
Night vision
Lions have incredible night vision, to help them hunt at night.
Dubbo's growing Lion Pride
The legendary African Lion
African Lions are very social and are the only big cat that regularly lives in family groups called a pride. A pride may include up to three males, a dozen or so females and their young. All of a pride’s lionesses are related. The collective power of the pride is their strength in this balancing act of survival played out daily across the plains of the Maasai Mara.
The second largest of all the big cats, lions have the most complicated communication system of any of their feline relatives. While their roar is significant, they vocalise in many ways including puffs, meows, grunts, growls, gnarls, purrs, hums and moans – every noise with a very specific meaning.
Each pride has their own story, one that is bound by blood. When the pride male took over these lionesses, he killed all cubs and drove away any juvenile males that could be potential threats to his position of power. Hypnotised by the hormonal scent of the lionesses he mates with them sowing his seed of prowess and working in short bursts to put his trademark on the next generation of lions for this pride.
A lion’s life is a battle of alliances and life as a male cub can be tough. If born as a singleton they can potentially live alone for the rest of their lives, but some join together in groups called bachelor prides. These prides are usually made up of brothers and cousins who have been raised side by side under the protective watch of mothers, aunts and big sisters. The strength of this band of brothers is their blood-bond, sticking together and forming a coalition as they navigate being tested to the limit by nature moving towards their transformation into full maturity.
Humans and lions have shared the same Africa lands for a very long time. Africa is a very special place and lions are one of Africa’s most important animals, however lions are in dangerous decline. Lion populations across Africa face many threats to their continued existence. As development expands, habitat disappears and the normal prey of lions vanishes, human-wildlife conflict is born and extinction is a real possibility for these majestic apex predators.
Breeding programs
Taronga hosts the species breeding program for this animal through the Zoos and Aquarium Association (ZAA). This means we work with experts across Australasia to manage animal populations, not just to breed, but also support important husbandry knowledge, safeguarding this species for the future.
Buy beads, save wildlife
You can help African animals by purchasing beads! But how can beads help animals like giraffe and lions? Find out with Beads for Wildlife.
Fact sheets for kids
Discover educational resources for kindergarten to year 6.
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