White lions - the laws of the pride, relationships, hunting - their life. One pride of lions

Leo is the king of beasts!

The strongest, the bravest, the most beautiful...

It would seem... just to envy...

However, alas, there is nothing much to envy, since adult male lions rarely live to their ripe old age of twelve...

As soon as a lion loses its strength, it is immediately expelled from the pride by stronger males. Or he leaves on his own...

But even at the moment of its physical blossoming, the life of a lion is exposed to great dangers, primarily from the same lions.

The whole life of a lion is a constant struggle for survival.

When their father leaves the pride, little lion cubs can easily be devoured by their stronger brothers. Young lions constantly fight among themselves within the same pride for the right to dominate.

But the greatest danger is posed by “alien lions”, who are constantly looking for new territory and... new lionesses.

So it turns out that those moments of joy that a lion experiences during “love” are the most pleasant moments of his life.

The rest of the time the lion either sleeps, or eats... Or fights.

However... everything is like with people. Except the work is different.

This part of the story about lions will be devoted to... mating.

Lions mating

Due to its size and strength, an adult lion has virtually no natural enemies.

However, lions, as I have already said, can become victims of other lions, dying in fights; the proportion of such cases relative to the total mortality of the species is quite large.

Lions often inflict serious injuries on each other when members of different prides clash with each other or in the event of a fight between males from the same pride.

In addition to the danger of starvation, other predators pose a threat to young individuals: hyenas, jackals, leopards, eagles and snakes.

Even buffalos, smelling the scent of lion cubs, run to the place where they are hidden and do everything possible to trample them while the lioness goes off to hunt.

If the main male in a pride is supplanted by another, then he kills the cubs of the defeated one. Overall, at least 80% of lions die before the age of two.

Well, plus poachers and hunters, who have always posed a serious danger to lions.

Infection with helminths, in particular, several types of tapeworms that enter the intestines, is also common among lions. Infection occurs through the meat of antelopes eaten by lions.

Most lionesses are capable of breeding from the age of four.

Males reach sexual maturity at 3 years, and by 4-5 years they are able to displace other males from any pride. At 10-15 years old, lions become weak, although quite often they do not live to this age, dying while defending the pride.

Males rarely succeed in re-capturing any pride.

In most cases, lionesses fiercely protect their children from other lions, but success is achieved only with support from other females.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not only males who can be expelled from a pride. When the latter becomes too large, the next generation of young females may be forced to abandon their own territory.

In addition, with a new lion, all immature individuals are often kicked out of the pride. Life for female nomads is very harsh. They rarely manage to raise cubs without the support of a pride. Sometimes nomadic individuals can have homosexual sexual relations with each other

Males begin mating from the moment the females reach proestrus. Like other cats, the lion's penis has spines that are directed towards reverse side in the direction of its movement. When the penis is withdrawn, these spines touch the walls of the female's vagina, which causes ovulation.

A lioness can mate with several males at once if she ovulates. During the mating season (or mating bout), which can last up to several days, the couple copulates 20 to 40 times a day and usually refuses to eat.

Lions love to do this activity in captivity.

As they say, a cage is not a hindrance to sex...

Average duration Gestation lasts 110 days, after which the female gives birth to one to four cubs in a secluded place (usually birth occurs in a reed thicket, cave or other protected place), away from the rest of the pride.

She often hunts herself, being not far from the place where the offspring are hidden. Lion cubs are born blind and completely helpless, their eyes opening about a week after birth.

The body weight of newborns is from 1.2 to 2.1 kg; after a day or two, lion cubs begin to crawl, and after the third week of life they are already walking. The female carries the cubs to a new place several times a month; this procedure is carried out to avoid the accumulation of odor in the den, which can attract other predators.

Typically, a female joins her pride when her cubs reach 6-8 weeks of age. Sometimes she can return to the pride earlier, especially if the birth occurred at the same time as other lionesses.

In such cases, the cubs grow up almost simultaneously, consume the same amount of food, and have a better chance of survival.

The attitude of males towards their cubs varies. In most cases, they like to share food more than females.

When lion cubs meet the rest of the pride, they experience a feeling of fear when confronted with anyone other than their mother.

However, soon the cubs begin to play with each other and with adults. Females are more tolerant of their cubs than those of other lionesses.

Males can treat lion cubs differently: sometimes they can play with them, and sometimes they drive them away from them.

And finally, a few interesting facts from the life of lions:

In addition to their nose, lions, like all cats, can detect odors using the so-called “Jacobson tube” located on the upper palate behind the front incisors. Leos use it when they fully concentrate on some particularly interesting smell, drawing in air, slightly lifting upper lip and nose.

A lion's face is like a person's fingerprints. No two lions have the same muzzle.

Lion claws can reach a length of 7 cm.

An adult lion has 30 teeth. Species characteristic Also is the presence of four nipples in females.

Despite their huge teeth, lions do not actually chew their food. Instead, they swallow large chunks of meat using only one side of their jaw.

A lion's night vision is six times better than that of a human.

The smallest heart of all predators is... the lion.

The roar of an adult lion is so loud that it can be heard up to 8 kilometers away.

Until the age of 2 years, lions cannot roar.

If the lion is well-fed, the animals he hunts can walk next to him without worrying about their lives.

Most man-eating lions are young males in good health. physical fitness. Until now, it was believed that only a sick or wounded lion attacks humans and domestic animals, because it is unable to catch up with such fleet-footed prey as a zebra or gazelle.

Male lions reach sexual maturity at 5 years, and females at 4 years. But even after this they continue to grow in size - usually up to six years.

Lions breed all year round, but the peak occurs during the rainy season. In a non-pregnant female, estrus begins 16 days after the end of the previous one.

Not only males, but also females are polygamous; usually mating occurs both with the dominant male and with other lions from the pride.

A lion mates 672 times a week

During mating season, a male lion mates every 15 minutes for two weeks straight.

Newborn lion cubs weigh only 1-2 kg. On the 11th day they open their eyes, and on the 15th they begin to walk. There are small lion cubs on the skin dark spots, which then disappear.

Lion cubs are fed their milk along with their mother and all lactating lionesses.

Lionesses live longer, since older lions are usually driven out either by the pride or by another, stronger male. In nature, they live on average 14-16 years (up to 18 years in the Serengeti), and males rarely reach 11 years, but you can also meet an older lion (up to 16 years). The average life expectancy of lions in captivity is 13 years.

Lions are perfectly adapted to life; they can go without drinking for months, being content with the moisture contained in their food.

Lions are the second largest predator after the spotted hyena.

Leos love to take a nap most of all and do it 20 hours a day.

When greeting each other, lions of one pride rub their muzzles and are generally very affectionate.

The crossing of a male lion and a female tigress is called a Liger. These are the largest of the cat family on earth. Male Ligers have a short mane and can and love to swim.

Surprisingly, the porcupine is the lion's great enemy.

The lion is the largest land predator in Africa. Its males reach a length of 180-240 cm, not counting the tail (60-90 cm). The mass of a lion is from 180 to 227 kg.

The lion is one of the few species of predatory animals in which sexual dimorphism is pronounced. It manifests itself not only in the smaller size of lionesses, but also in their lack of mane.

Males weigh 20-27% more than females. The mass of the latter is 120-182 kg. Their body length is 140-175 cm, tail - 70-100 cm. Height is about 107 cm.

There are several varieties of lions, differing mainly in the color of their manes. It can be black, dark brown or yellow-red, like the rest of the skin. Lions with black manes are considered the most ferocious.

The heaviest lion was killed in Africa in 1936 in the Transvaal; it weighed 313 kg and was included in the Guinness Book of Records for this. And in captivity, animals are usually even larger: for example, in 1970, a record weight of a lion was recorded at the London Zoo at 375 kg, and the longest lion was about 3.3 m long.

Lions can run at speeds of up to 60 km per hour and jump up to 12 meters! Although the lion is a poor runner. All ungulates easily outrun him in a run, and he overtakes them only thanks to cunning, surprise and the enormous length and speed of his jump.

Pouncing from behind cover, the lion sinks its teeth into the victim's throat and strangles it. Sometimes it strangles its prey by pinching its nose with its mouth. But he does this only with large animals; small ones, he simply breaks the neck with a blow of a powerful paw.

If the first jump is unsuccessful, the lion almost never pursues the victim. Having eaten after a successful hunt, the king of animals leaves, leaving the uneaten part of the carcass to his subjects, fortunately the jackals usually stay nearby, waiting for a handout.

Previously, the lion lived throughout the African continent (except for the deep parts of the Sahara and the rain forests of the Congo Basin). In Egypt and Libya, the lion was exterminated in the 18th century, in South Africa - by the middle of the 19th century, in the Atlas Mountains - at the turn of the 19th-20th century.

Now the lion is preserved only in Central Africa, and also, in a very small number, in Indian state Gujarat, in the Gir forests. Contrary to popular belief, the lion is by no means a desert dweller.

The most favorable for him are savannas with their open landscape, abundance of various ungulates, and the presence of watering places. The latter are absolutely necessary for the existence of lions.

Unlike others large predators lions are found not only alone and in pairs, but also in large groups, so-called prides.

A pride usually includes 1-2 adult males, several adult lionesses and young animals. In total there can be 7-10 or more individuals. Once, even 30 lions were counted in the pride.

In fact, lions are considered pack animals. These are the only representatives of the cat family, living in families of up to 20-30 individuals.

However, there are approximately fifty thousand males, and only five thousand of them have their own flocks. So the lions wander through the bush, joining first one or another pack of females with young animals. Some remain lonely for the rest of their lives, becoming the most bloodthirsty killers.

To have a pack, males have to endure a difficult fight with an opponent, but the winner never finishes off the opponent; he goes into solitary existence.

The owner of the flock establishes patriarchy in it, and it begins to live either sedentary or wanders after the herds of ungulates. Sometimes in a pride of lions there can be two or even three adult males, and then the area of ​​their territory can be up to one hundred square kilometers.

Lionesses are not immediately ready to recognize a new male. He has to prove his superiority to them by force and, in fact, subjugate the flock to himself. However, the succession grows quickly, so the average period of power of a male in a flock is usually only two years.

So the male does not have to waste time. He identifies lionesses who are ready to mate by their games, when they begin to jump on each other, lightly biting their rival.

The lifestyle of lions is atypical for big cats. Mainly females hunt and look after the cubs, while males guard the territory. Fights for females often end in the death of the defending male or challenger.

Some prides specialize in one type of prey (there are lions that hunt elephants). An adult male is capable of eating up to 18 kg of meat at a time, and according to other estimates, even 31 kg.

When zebras and wildebeest are abundant, lions feed almost exclusively on them. The lion usually eats once every two to three days, but can go without food for several weeks.

A pride of four lions is believed to limit itself to one reasonably successful hunt per week.

During the day, lions like to lie in the shade for hours, and sometimes even sleep in trees. Being well-fed, they do not pay attention to their potential victims, and they, in turn, are not afraid of them either. Individual, usually sick or decrepit animals, unable to hunt ungulates, may become addicted to attacks on people.

Famine becomes a serious danger after the herds begin their seasonal migration across the plains.

Lions eat prey in a strictly established order: first, the abdominal cavity is ripped open and the heart, liver and kidneys are eaten, and then the meat along with the skin.

The dominant male eats first, even if he did not take any part in the hunt. If there is a lot of game at this time of year and he is not particularly hungry, then other members of the pride may also be allowed to join the feast.

Otherwise, they are forced to wait until he is satisfied, and only then snatch their share. Lion cubs eat last if there is anything left for them, and often the dominant male makes sure that they get at least some leftovers.

But the lion, having eaten, becomes sleepy, and as soon as the pride lies down, jackals, vultures and hyenas gather around the remains of the carcass.

Lions sleep in small islands of shade or grass heated by the sun of the savannah for 20 hours a day.

The mating period for lions is not confined to a specific time of year, as a result of which lionesses and lion cubs can be observed simultaneously of different ages However, females of one pack (pride) prefer to have cubs at the same time (to make it easier to protect them from other predators and male lions of another pride).

They even feed them, without dividing them into friends and foes. If one female dies, the others take care of the deceased's cubs.

During the mating period, the relationship between partners is very tender.

The dominant lion mates with a female who is in heat every twenty to thirty minutes - and so on for hours (up to 30-40 times a day in total). During sexual intercourse, the male lion bites the lioness on the scruff of the neck, as is typical for cats.

Pregnancy lasts from three to six months. The females of the flock become pregnant one at a time, and almost all give birth at the same time. That is, the periods of estrus, pregnancy and childbirth are practically synchronized among all lionesses of the pack, so the time between births does not exceed one to three months. Females give birth in secluded places, in rocks or on hills, and then bring the cubs to a common group, where they are fed and raised together.

In a litter there are most often 3 lion cubs, less often - 2, 4 or 5. Lion cubs are born blind and helpless, newborns are very small, about 30 cm in length. Their skin is covered with spots that gradually disappear as they grow older (although adult lions with preserved “children’s” spots are occasionally found).

Lion cubs suck milk for almost the entire first year of life, but their mothers do not distinguish between them. Then they eat only meat. The eyes of the cubs are light blue at birth, and after a few weeks they turn brown. Males are "cool" towards their cubs. They will never allow either females or cubs to approach their prey until they have eaten enough themselves. They even kill lion cubs from other males to preserve their own genetic superiority.

In most cases, no more than half of all lion cubs survive. Females have to hunt on their own, without males, leaving the cubs unattended, which often leads to their death.

As they get older, lion cubs begin to follow the hunting lionesses, learning and participating in the division of prey. When male lion cubs grow up and show the first signs of a mane, the adult lions expel them from the pride as rivals.

For several years, such young lions lead a solitary nomadic existence; first on the border of their native pride, and then they go into the bush. A free search for their place in the savannah and in life, a search for their flock awaits them.

A lion is considered an adult at the age of 5 and by this time has reached its optimal “fighting” size. Puberty occurs in the fourth year, but males reach full development at 6 years old.

In captivity, lions live up to 20-30 years. Sometimes in nature the crossing of a lion and a leopard occurs, but the spotted hybrids born during this process are infertile.

The dominant lion marks the boundaries of the territory of his pride by spraying a mixture of urine and anal gland secretions onto the bushes, and announces that the territory belongs to him with a thunderous roar.

The basis of this territorial behavior is the need to protect the females of the pride, whom he considers his property, from the attacks of other males, and therefore their hunting area automatically becomes his territory.

Blog of Pavel Aksenov. You won't envy a Leo... Photo by GUDKOVANDREY - Depositphotos

Lions have been idolized since ancient times, endowing them with different characteristics. First of all, their strength and ferocity were valued, they were revered as invincible fighters. In the same Ancient Egypt the image of a lion on flags, coats of arms and emblems symbolized the power of the pharaohs. It is known that these animals never attack without reason unless there is a threat to their life. However, the king of beasts can be aggressive, defending his right to prey, a female, or pride territory.

Prides

Pride is a family group. Leos prefer group life and are rarely alone. The group size of these predators is not always the same. It ranges from four to forty individuals. Of the entire cat family, only lions live and hunt in groups. A pride of lions usually includes several females with cubs, young males and only one leader. Moreover, the head of the pack is not always the strongest or largest male. But the entire pride of lions recognizes his authority and obeys him. Sometimes the leader kicks young males out of the group. They can later join another group or create their own pride.

How does the life of a pride of lions work?

These animals are very sociable, and often a group can reach a size of forty individuals. The basis of any such team are lionesses. They raise their offspring under the protection of the entire pride. What is noteworthy is that lion cubs can suck milk not only from their mother, but also from any other female who has recently given birth to cubs. Lionesses raise their offspring together and do not divide the cubs into their own and those of others.

All members of the pride are very attached to each other and often show tender feelings, which are expressed in licking each other or rubbing their cheeks when they meet. As in any family, there are some small skirmishes, but they are mainly due to the division of spoils.

Power in prides

Any pride of lions, a photo of which can be seen in this article, has only one leader, who has all the power. This is an adult male that dominates the pack. He has the right to be the first to mate with the lionesses and begin to eat the prey. But the leader also has his own responsibilities - to look after the cubs while their mothers are hunting, to protect the flock from strangers and any dangers.

A pride of lions usually contains no more than three adult males, since young predators, growing up, can begin to challenge dominance. If they lose, they are expelled from the pride. For some time they lead a lonely life, and then create their own family group or join another pack.

How do lions hunt?

Lions hunt in groups, pursuing one chosen victim together. They can develop greater speed only at short distances. They prefer to stalk prey and get as close to it as possible. Moreover, it is mainly females who hunt. This is explained by the fact that lionesses are less noticeable than males and are more agile, so the likelihood of catching prey increases several times.

Often females surround the herd with different sides and pounce on the nearest animal. Lionesses try to attack with one powerful leap, breaking cervical vertebrae with their jaws or strangling the victim. For small animals, one fatal blow with a paw is enough. Females provide food for the entire pride of lions, so their main prey is large ungulates (buffalos, zebras, antelopes, etc.). Males usually do not take part in the hunt, except in rare cases when a very large prey is caught. Often lions prefer to remove sick and weak animals or cubs from the herd. Such prey is easier to handle and hunting does not take much effort and time.

Mating season for lions

A lion courting a female is very attentive to her. Mating season begins with the lioness's heat. Until the female becomes pregnant, this period is repeated every 3 weeks. The resulting pair leaves the pride of lions for about five days to a week, going to a secluded place. At this time they are inseparable and are close all the time. Sometimes the “honeymoon” lasts even more than two weeks.

Mating occurs several times a day. A lion can copulate 70 times in 24 hours. The recovery period between matings averages twenty minutes. Usually everything happens quietly and quickly, except for cases when the male begins to growl in ecstasy and pats the lioness by the scruff of the neck. At this time, the lion may sometimes miscalculate his bite force and, in a moment of passion, accidentally kill his girlfriend.

Pride territory

The territory in which a group of any animals lives is almost always marked by them. Lions do the same. A pride of lions sprays the boundaries of its territory with secretions from the anal glands, accompanying this action with a loud roar. This is done to protect the females of the pack and to legitimize the area in which they will hunt. But, nevertheless, lions do not patrol established borders very vigilantly.

If there is little prey in the territory, then the pride’s possessions can be expanded to 15 km in all directions. And vice versa, if there is enough food for the flock in a smaller area, then the boundaries are reduced. Young males can only conquer pride territory by force. And lionesses will not allow a strange female into their flock if she tries to join their group.

1. Pay attention to the stains. Lion cubs are born with brown spots on their bodies, like leopards. Upon reaching sexual maturity, these spots disappear, although in some adults, especially females, they remain on the stomach and legs.

2. Lions are one of the few land predators and the only representatives of the cat family in which sexual dimorphism is well expressed: lionesses are distinguished by their smaller size and the absence of a mane.

3. Females more often act as hunters - for this reason, their mane, which can interfere with camouflage, is not developed. The color of the mane varies from white to black, and always darkens with age.

4. The weight of adult lions is 150-250 kg for males and 120-182 kg for females. Lions from South Africa generally heavier than lions from the eastern part of the continent by 5%.

5. Lions living in captivity tend to weigh more than predators living in captivity. wildlife. A lion named Simba was recorded at the UK's Colchester Zoo in 1970, weighing 375 kg.

6. Let's talk about the mane. The mane of adult males is unique - no other cat has anything like it; she is one of the most distinctive features of this type.

7. The mane begins to develop in approximately six-month-old animals and becomes larger, thicker and more luxuriant with age. The mane becomes fully developed by the age of three, reaching its greatest development and splendor in old lions.

8. Based on a study conducted in Tanzania, it was suggested that the length of the mane may serve as a marker of a male's strength in fights with other lions. Individuals with a dark mane have greater reproductive capacity, but they have a harder time withstanding the hot season.

10. Characteristic feature both lions and lionesses have a fluffy tuft - a “tassel” at the end of the tail; the length of this tuft is about 5 cm. At birth, the tassel is absent, and begins to develop only from the 5th month of life of the lion cubs. At the age of 7 months it is already clearly visible

11. Leos look like lazy people, because they sleep or rest 20 hours a day.

12. Although they can hunt at any time of the day, they are most active after sunset. Most often, lionesses begin hunting from dark to dawn, taking breaks at night. On average, they spend two hours a day walking and 50 minutes eating.

13. Lions are two types of predators social organization. Most often they live in groups called prides. A pride usually consists of five or six related females, their cubs of both sexes, and one or two males.

14. The second type of social organization is the so-called wandering lions, alone or (less often) in pairs, wandering within the range. Often wandering lions are males who have been exiled from the pride into which they were born. Most young males go through this, and some of them remain single for the rest of their lives.

15. An area occupied by a group of lions is called “pride territory.” Males usually stay on its periphery and guard the territory. Mostly lionesses take part in the hunt - they are smaller, faster and more flexible than lions. It is harder for males to hunt because of their mane, which leads to overheating when physical activity. During hunting, females act in a coordinated manner. So a pride of lions is a man’s dream, because a woman is in charge of food and groceries

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16. Both males and females protect the pride territory from aliens. However, this responsibility in the pride is distributed unevenly: some lions constantly drive away strangers, others prefer to stay away, giving this right to others. Leos who remain on the sidelines can fulfill another key role for the family. On hot days, the pride may retreat into the shade, leaving one or two males to guard the borders. Each member of the pride is given their own role. Lions defend their pride from invasion by other males; lionesses act similarly in relation to other females, being a stable social unit in the pride.

17. Lions are less hardy than, for example, hyenas: in the latter, the heart makes up 1% of the total body weight, while in lions it is from 0.45% (in males) to 0.57% (in females). Thus, lions can only run fast over short distances.

18. Lions eat a lot; at one time a lion can eat up to 30 kg of meat.

19. Due to its size and strength, an adult lion has practically no natural enemies. However, lions can become prey to other lions, dying in fights; the proportion of such cases relative to the total mortality of the species is quite large.

20. Lions dominate smaller cats - cheetahs and leopards - in areas of sympatry of these species.

21. The only predator (except for humans) that can pose a threat to a lion is the Nile crocodile.

Most lions now live in eastern and southern Africa, and their numbers are rapidly declining. It is estimated that the population of the powerful predators has declined by 30–50% over the past two decades. The main reason is the human seizure of primordially lion territories.

What do you imagine when you hear the word “pride”? Of course, a mighty lion with a golden-black mane, strong and graceful lionesses with a whole litter of funny spotted kittens and, of course, the endless African veldt, with countless herds of striped zebras and maned antelopes grazing in its open spaces.

What do you know about Pride *behind the picture*? Do you know that, apart from lions, no one from the cat family forms such social groups? Are there any hierarchical relationships in the community itself?

The basis of the pride is lionesses, who in one way or another have family relationships, but at the same time, each of the lionesses has her own inheritance - a hunting territory inherited from her mother.

The hunting area, controlled by the entire pride, has an area of ​​several tens of square kilometers. and is divided into invisible separate areas belonging to each of the lionesses of this pride.

The entire pride is an adult male (sometimes two, if they are siblings), six to ten females (harem) and, of course, lion cubs of both sexes and different ages.

The lion's task is to protect the territory from various *raiders* and prolong its own lineage. The task of lionesses is to hunt and educate the younger generation.

In this situation, conflicts within the pride are inevitable. The grown-up boys strive to prove to their dad that it is time for him to give them the place of leader. Considering that the authority of the father in a purely female upbringing is very weak, the young and arrogant often start fights with their own father. While dad is in power, up to 6-8 years, they do not succeed, and they are expelled from the pride in disgrace, leaving to look for a better life in the vastness of the veld, where for some time they lead a wild bachelor life, until they acquire their own harem. This is how it turns out that in a pride there are almost never more than three sexually mature males.

But even though the oldest and strongest lion father watches over his harem, he is still not the leader, therefore, decisions about where and when to go hunting, who to hunt, on whose territory, etc. etc. he doesn't accept it at all. It all depends on the beautiful ladies.

But they don’t hunt together either. Each of them goes out into their own hunting territory, although often inviting one or two of their friends with them, apparently, it’s still more convenient. But only the owner of the hunting ground chooses the target! The male is also sometimes attracted to the hunt, but he is used instead of an “ambush tank”: the lion hides somewhere on the side, the lionesses drive some kind of large horned animal (buffalo or wildebeest) towards him, at the right moment the “tank” jumps out of the ambush and shows everyone his famous paw strike. But the “tank” eats first.

From all that has been said, a sad conclusion suggests itself: the pride is far from being a pack, it is a group of individual individuals, strong in their characteristics, living “under one roof”, but not acting as “one team”.

Lions become old enough to give birth to offspring around the age of 3-4 years. But *physical* growth continues for a couple more years.

In principle, lions can have offspring all year round, like domestic cats, but the peak *lion birth rate* still occurs during the rainy season, from late August to May.

Although the lion cubs in the pride are mostly children of the currently eldest male, the lioness may well go on a spree with the first lion she meets when she is ready for mating. Males of a pride never fight for females. A cat, she is a cat! In addition, the lady, as we remember, is financially independent.

Here, perhaps, one anecdote would be appropriate: when a veterinarian comes to the house, since there is an extremely overweight cat, and this fact has greatly worried her owners.

She's pregnant!

What are you talking about, doctor! We haven't found a suitable groom for her yet!

At this time, a huge big-faced cat floats into the room.

What are you telling me! - the animal doctor is indignant, - Who is this?!

How could you think so poorly of her?! This is HER BROTHER!!!

The lioness “wears” it for 3.5 months. Feeling the approach of childbirth, the expectant mother leaves the pride to a shady, inconspicuous place and there “brings” from one to six kittens, weighing from 1 to 1.5 kg. These spotted babies (the spots disappear after 3 months) open their eyes on the 10-12th day, and already on the 20th day of their life they are walking confidently! Up to 2 months, lion cubs feed only on mother’s milk, and after 2 months they return with their mother to the family, to the pride, where they can without any problems *eat* not only their mother, but also any other “milk” lioness.

From this age they begin to gradually become accustomed to meat. And by the year they have completely changed their diet from dairy to meat cuisine. By the same age, young lions can already hunt fairly well on their own.

The role of the father in raising lion cubs is minimized.

He, of course, makes sure that the children do not remain hungry and, when dividing the spoils, they get their allotted portion. Unlike many other *animal dads*, the Leo dad is very patient and affectionate with his children.

But still, the most important thing that a self-respecting head of a harem is simply obliged to provide kittens with is protection. Protection not only from foreign predators (hyenas, leopards, etc.), but also from their most important enemies - young lions-vagrant bachelors who decided to acquire their own harem.

Not only do almost 50% of all born lion cubs die in the first six months of their lives, because... the mother, busy with hunting, almost does not participate in the protection of her offspring; the lion population is also limited by such a terrible custom, in the human eye, as infanticide. What is this?

An adult male head can “hold” a pride for 6-8 years, until he himself begins to age (the average lifespan of a lion in the wild is 14-16 years, in a zoo - up to 30), and then the expelled one appears on the scene ( or expelled) from another pride, a young, strong, full of ambitions lion.

The old lion, of course, has his experience and weight, but if there are two new bachelors, then the old master simply has no chance. The lion, saving his life after a short but very fierce fight, leaves.

The time for infanticide is coming, which is carried out by the new owner of the pride. He kills all the kittens in the pride after capturing him. Such a murder is a natural necessity, otherwise the new head would have to wait at least, or even more than two years, for the birth of his own children. Who will give any guarantees that during this time he will not simply be *displaced*? The female, freed from caring for the kittens, is ready for mating within two weeks.

Lionesses never prevent infanticide, no matter how strange it may seem to the rest of the cat family. Only lion cubs who are able to not only run away from their killer stepfather, but also hunt on their own have a chance to survive; these are between 16-18 months of age, as well as very young ones whose mother has not yet brought them into the pride. If the kittens get into the family 2-3 days after the new male has captured the harem, the stepfather will not touch them, but, on the contrary, will eagerly begin to fulfill paternal responsibilities towards them.

But, if the new owner behaves too despotic, frankly cruel, towards his harem, or performs his duties poorly, the pride expels him back to the veld, to *independently grub* and does not allow him to return under the threat of banal murder.

The age of lionesses is longer. Even an old or crippled lioness is protected by the remaining females, allowed to eat and taken care of in every possible way for a long time. She is in the position of an honored pensioner. Eventually, the old lioness leaves.

This is what a community of lions called a “pride” looks like. They live this way for many centuries, preserving their laws and habits. It's not such a romantic picture, is it? And you all: “Lion! Lion! Tsar! Tsar!”, and he is simply a governor!

• KEY FACTS
• Name: Lion (Panthera leo)
• Habitat: South Africa; small population in North West India
• Pride size: 6-30 individuals; on average 15
• Gestation period: 110 days
• Gaining independence: 16 months
• Territory: Variable, depends on the availability of food

When hunting, lionesses act together and share the prey together (in this case, their victim was a warthog).

There are 37 species in the cat family (Felidae). Almost all of them lead a solitary lifestyle and change their habit only during the mating season or when they are raising children. True social behavior is inherent in only one representative of this family - the lion (Panthera leo).

The lion, the “king of beasts,” lives primarily in African savannas, where it forms social groups called prides. A lion is capable of surviving alone, but in order to be protected and reproduce, it must become a member of a pride. Groups of lions can hunt larger game than a single lion and can ward off carrion-eating predators like hyenas.

What is pride

The lion community is formed around the female. A pride is a group of related lionesses, their cubs, and one or more dominant males who are not related to the lionesses. Such a group can include from 6 to 30 individuals; usually a pride is formed by about 15 lions. Its social ties are very strong: for example, lions willingly help each other lick their fur and raise their babies. Games in which both cubs and adults participate also stimulate the development of a sense of community.

Each pride maintains a territory, the size of which depends on the availability of food. The selected area is protected by all adult members of the pride. Males attack only other males who violate the border, but lionesses defend the territory from both foreign lions and lionesses. Lions mark the boundaries of a pride's territory with urine and other secretions. A very important element of social life is a joint roar, with which animals inform other lions that the territory is occupied. With the help of these sounds, lions also easily locate each other.

Females distribute “housework” among themselves - hunting. With the help of a good sense of smell and acute hearing, they track down prey.

Lions are busy protecting the pride from uninvited guests, and lionesses hunt and raise offspring. Lionesses hunt in groups, although the degree of coordination of their actions appears to depend on the area. In some areas, hunting is more organized than in others. If the hunt was successful, the spoils are divided among all members of the pride. The order in which food is obtained depends on the size of the animal: the males eat first, then the females get food, and then the cubs.

Lion cubs

Males of a pride can mate with any female in the group. This process lasts three to five days, during which time the pair copulates every five minutes. During the mating season, the female does not mate with other males and gives birth to cubs from one dominant lion.

The female has offspring (three to four cubs) every two years. Pregnancy lasts about 110 days. A female who is about to bear offspring leaves the pride and only appears periodically to maintain contact with other members of the group. Lion cubs join the pride when they are 8 weeks old. When the babies are able to eat solid food, the mother involves them in sharing the spoils. From the age of five months, adults take lion cubs hunting so that they can acquire the necessary skills. Lion cubs stay with the pride for up to two years. Then the adult lions drive out the older males, and the lionesses remain with their native pride.

Men's prides

Expelled from the pride, the lion relatives begin to live as a bachelor group. Single males usually join other lone lions to form a similar group, as the life of a wandering lion is very dangerous. The larger the group, the greater the chance for the male to survive. One gets the impression that lionesses are able to somehow influence the gender of their cubs: babies from a large litter or peers who were born simultaneously to several lionesses from the same pride will most likely turn out to be males. These cubs will have the opportunity to leave in a large group, which will increase their chances of survival.

Young bachelor lions live together, forming a male pride. When they are mature enough, they will be able to take over someone else's pride.

Males become sexually mature at the age of 4-5 years. A mature lion is distinguished from lionesses and young ones by the thick mane that adorns its head and shoulders. This indicates his age and status in truth, the mane also in some way protects lions in fights with other males. The reason for the battles is an attempt to seize power by a male pride in another pride, when uninvited guests challenge the “local” males and defeat them. Invading lions defend females and territory together. The more males there are in a pride, the greater the chances for successful defense against other lions. However, in a large group, a lion is less likely to mate than in a small community. In small male prides (up to four lions), the males are most likely unrelated, but in a large pride all males are related. And although in a large group the chances of each lion to participate in reproduction are small, his male relatives will be able to do this and, to some extent, his genes will be passed on to the offspring.

When new males take over a pride, they often kill the cubs fathered by the exiled lions. Lions do not want to waste energy on protecting other people's cubs, so they get rid of them. The lioness goes into heat, and new lions mate with her to have offspring. Since males typically hold power for about three years, infanticide ensures that at least one generation of their offspring survives to adulthood. Lionesses sometimes try to save their babies and take them away from the pride. But this is a risky step: if the female is absent for too long, she may not be accepted back not only into her native pride, but also into any other. In this case, the lioness and offspring establish a new pride.