King Of The Beasts
The earth's climates are ever-changing. In recent millennia, ice ages forced forests to retreat and allowed grasslands to expand, creating new niches for animals to fill. Among the large herbivores that have flourished are the wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, and giraffe. Where there are prey there are predators and the reigning predator on the African savanna is the lion, the king of the beasts.

The Hunt
As the sun begins to set on the Serengeti and many animals bed down for the night, the largest and most powerful African hunters are just beginning to stir. Most hunts take place at twilight when the temperature is coolest and there is little light. Lionesses hunt in groups of twos and threes, slowly stalking their prey, surrounding it, and moving in for the kill as a team.

Carnivores that hunt alone are often limited to weak, old or very young prey, however since lions hunt in family groups called prides they are able to feed upon large, healthy prey. Dominant males eat first, females second, and the cubs feed on whatever remains.

The Struggle
Adolescent males are forced to leave their family pride at sexual maturity. Either as nomads or in small bachelor groups they must learn to hunt and scavenge for food. Adult males have a reputation for being lazy, but as young males they work hard to develop the skills necessary for survival.

Few young males have the strength and skills necessary to defeat the current leader of a pride. Combat can be bloody and many males die as a result of the wounds suffered during these ferocious battles for leadership. If the challenger wins, he kills or chases off any offspring of the previous leader. The winner then mates with the lionesses to produce offspring of his own.

The Family Pride
Lions are the only large cats that prefer a communal life. They are social animals that depend on one another for catching and killing prey, and also for raising offspring, defense, grooming, and companionship. A pride usually consists of 5-37 members: 3-12 related females, 2-4 related males, and cubs of various ages.

Several lionesses within a pride come into estrus at the same time, which means many of the cubs are born simultaneously. Not only do lionesses share the responsibilities of raising, nursing, and protecting each other's offspring, they also are responsible for providing the pride with most of its food.

When a lioness is ready to give birth she will leave the pride to find a secluded place in tall grass or rocks where she hides the cubs for the first six to eight weeks. This is dangerous time for weak and defenseless cubs, and some may fall prey to hyenas or leopards. At three months, the cubs are strong enough to follow their mother back to the pride.

On the warn, dry grasslands of Africa, lions spend much of the daytime lying in the shade cooling off and relaxing-a time for playing and grooming. Like other felines, lions remain playful throughout their lives, and grown-ups often romp with their youngsters. This activity helps cubs to develop coordination and basic survival skills. Most of the grooming is done by lionesses. They groom each other as well as cubs and males. This behavior is hygienic and reinforces social bonds. Adult males seldom groom other members of the pride.

The Challenge?
The lion symbolizes strength and power, beauty and grace. For many hunters, the lion is the ultimate kill. This is one reason the lion is vulnerable. Through protective legislation lion hunting is being controlled.

The greatest threat to the lions, their prey species, and their competitors is the loss of habitat. The habitat's health is dependent on all the micro-inhabitants, plants, and larger animals that share it. Africa's human population is one of the fastest growing in the world. With relentless demands for new farmlands to feed the hungry, preserving vast expanses of intact grassland may be an impossible task for future generations of African peoples. A worldwide effort is needed to maintain Africa's unique wildlife heritage. Are you ready to meet the challenge?

Millennia: a period of 1000 years