lions travel in what

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African lion

African lions are revered the world over, but their population has shrunk in half over the past 25 years. Conflict with humans is one of the greatest threats they face.

What is the African lion?

African lions have been admired throughout history for as symbols of courage and strength. These iconic animals have powerful bodies—in the cat family, they’re second in size only to tigers—and roars that can be heard from five miles away . An adult lion’s coat is yellow-gold, and juveniles have some light spots that disappear with age. Only male lions typically boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads.

African lions once roamed most of Africa and parts of Asia and Europe. But the species has disappeared from 94 percent of its historic range and can only be found today in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. These lions mainly stick to the grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands where they can more easily hunt their prey, but they can live in most habitats aside from tropical rainforests and deserts.

Asiatic lions ( Panthera leo persica) are a subspecies of African lion, but only one very small population survives in India's Gir Forest.

Lion prides and hunting

Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides—though there is one population of solitary lions . Prides are family units that may comprise anywhere from two to 40 lions—including up to to three or four males, a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride's lionesses are related, and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age. Young males eventually leave and establish their own prides by taking over a group headed by another male.

Males defend the pride's territory, marking the area with urine, roaring menacingly to warn intruders, and chasing off animals that encroach on their turf.

Female lions are the pride's primary hunters and leaders . They often work together to prey upon antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, and other large animals of the open grasslands. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so teamwork pays off. Female lions also raise their cubs communally.

After the hunt, the group effort often degenerates to squabbling over the sharing of the kill, with cubs at the bottom of the pecking order. Young lions do not help to hunt until they are about a year old. Lions will hunt alone if the opportunity presents itself, and they also steal kills from hyenas or wild dogs .

Threats to survival

Today, there are only half as many African lions than there were 25 years ago. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that fewer than 25,000 lions remain in Africa, which is why the organization classifies them as vulnerable to extinction.

African lions face a variety of threats —most of which can be attributed to humans. Fearing that lions will prey on their livestock, which can be a significant financial blow, ranchers may kill the animals both in retaliation and as a preventative measure, sometimes using pesticides as poison . Poachers target the species, too, as their bones and other body parts are valuable in the illegal wildlife trade.

The role trophy hunting plays is controversial . Mismanaged hunting in the past has caused lions to disappear from some habitats, while hunters and those involved in the industry say hunting fees generate money for lion conservation. National Geographic Explorer Craig Packer , however, has said the amount generated by hunting is so "underwhelming…[that] it’s no wonder that despite years of lion hunting being allowed in [some] countries, the lion population has plummeted."

Further fueling this conflict between lions and humans is the loss of prey across the species’ range. African lions prey on large herbivores, a population that’s being hunted for an increasingly commercial bushmeat trade. The IUCN estimates these populations have declined by as much as 52 percent in East Africa and 85 percent in West Africa. With less food available in the wild, lions may be more likely to turn to hunting domesticated animals like livestock.

Conservation

Helping humans learn how to live with lions is key to ensuring their survival. Conservation organizations are working to change attitudes toward lions through compensation initiatives . Some of these models offer communities financial rewards when their local lion populations rise, while others pay farmers to replace their livestock that have been killed by lions.

Other conservationists have focused on creating protected areas for lions. In Botswana’s Selinda area, only a single lioness and her cub lived there when filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, both National Geographic Explorers, turned the land into a protected reserve and photographic tourism camp. Now about a hundred lions roam the reserve.

In Mozambique’s Zambezi Delta, where the effects of a protracted civil war caused lion numbers to plummet, the largest-ever lion translocation project brought in 24 lions from South Africa in 2018—they’re now settled in and starting to have cubs.

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Lions: Facts, behavior and news

The uniquely-social lion is the world's second-largest cat

How big are lions?

Where do lions live, lion pride dynamics, mating and raising young, conservation status, news about lions, additional resources.

Lions are the second-largest cats in the world, after tigers . Known as the "king of beasts" or "king of the jungle," these regal felines once roamed Africa, Asia and Europe, but now only live in parts of Africa and India. 

Experts have long recognized two subspecies of lion, Panthera leo leo (the African lion) and Panthera leo persica (the Asiatic lion). However, recent studies suggest that lions from West and Central Africa are more closely related to Asian lions than they are to lions from the eastern and southern parts of Africa, according to the Cat Specialist Group , a component of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

In 2017, the Cat Specialist Group published their reclassification of lions , grouping the cats into two new subspecies: Panthera leo leo (also called the Northern subspecies) and Panthera leo melanochaita (the Southern subspecies). 

Panthera leo leo includes lion populations in Central Africa, West Africa (West African or Senegal lion) and India (Asiatic lion), according to the University of Kent , as well as extinct populations previously found in North Africa (Barbary lion), southeastern Europe, the Middle East, the Arabian peninsula and southwestern Asia. Panthera leo melanochaita includes lion populations from southern parts of Africa (Katanga lion and the Southeast African lion) and East Africa (Masai lion and Ethiopian lion).

Although the West African and Asiatic lions are genetically similar, many of their physical characteristics and behaviors are slightly different.

African lions can grow to measure between 9 and 10 feet long (3 meters) from head to tail, with the tail being about 2 to 3 feet long (60 to 91 centimeters), according to the Smithsonian National Zoo . They typically weigh between 330 to 550 pounds (150 to 250 kilograms), with males reaching the higher end of that range. 

Asiatic lions (also called Asian or Indian lions) are slightly smaller than African lions. They are 6.6 to 9.2 feet (2 to 2.8 m) long from head to tail and weigh between 242 to 418 pounds (110 to 190 kg), according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 

— In photos: The lions of Kenya's Masai Mara

— The world's fastest animals

— Biggest cats in the world

Lions tend to have loose skin hanging from their midsection, possibly to help protect them from the piercing hooves of their frantic prey. Asiatic lions also have a fold of skin that runs along their belly, a feature rarely seen in African lions, according to the African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT), a research and conservation organization. Compared with African lions, Asiatic lions tend to have shaggier coats, longer hair tufts on their elbows, and a longer tassel on the end of their tail. 

Not only are male lions generally larger than females, but they also have a distinctive thick mane of hair around their heads that females lack. The biggest and most fabulous manes are more impressive to sexually mature females and more intimidating to competing males, according to the San Diego Zoo . The mane also protects the male's neck during fights over territory or mating access. African lions tend to have bigger, more magnificent manes compared to their Asiatic cousins.

African lions live in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Male lions defend the pride’s territory, which may include an area of up to 100 square miles (259 square kilometers) of shrubs, grasslands and open woodlands, according to the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio. 

Asiatic lions are found only in the Indian state of Gujarat in Western India, where most reside in the protected Sasan Gir National Park , a 545-square-mile (1,412-square-km) wildlife haven. The Indian government designated this land, which includes a deciduous forest, grasslands, scrub jungle and rocky hills, as a wildlife sanctuary in 1965, according to the park's website. In addition to more than 500 lions and 300 leopards, the park is home to deer, antelope, jackal, hyenas, foxes, reptiles and more than 200 species of birds.

Lions are social cats and live in groups called prides. Asiatic and African lion prides are very different, though.

African lion prides typically consist of up to three adult males and around a dozen females and their young, according to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. Some prides can grow to be extremely large, however, with up to 40 members. Females tend to remain in the pride in which they are born, so they are usually related to each other. Males, on the other hand, wander off to create their own prides when they are old enough.

Asiatic male lions normally won't live with the females of their pride unless they’re mating or are sharing a large kill, according to the Zoological Society of London .

How do lions hunt?

African lions tend to hunt large animals such as antelopes, zebras, hogs, rhinos , hippos and wildebeest. Asiatic lions also hunt large animals, including buffaloes, goats, nilgai (a large Asian antelope), chital and sambar (two types of deer). Lions can kill animals that weigh up to 1,000 pounds (450 kg), according to the Smithsonian National Zoo , but they will also hunt smaller animals like mice and birds when opportunities arise. 

Females are the main hunters of the pride, and work cooperatively in hunting parties to surround and take down prey. Lions can run up to 50 mph (80 km/h) for short distances and leap as far as 36 feet (11 m), almost the length of a school bus, according to the World Wildlife Fund . To bring down prey, lions jump on the backs of very large animals but will "ankle-tap" smaller animals, meaning they reach out a paw and swipe the preys' legs to trip them up, according to ALERT . To kill their prey, lions use their powerful jaws to snap the animal's neck or to strangle it to death.

Very occasionally, males will join in the hunting action, particularly if the prey is extremely large, like an elephant or water buffalo. Otherwise, the main job of the male is to protect the pride, while the female lions hunt in packs. African males who live alone are required to hunt by themselves, and tend to hide in dense vegetation to engage in ambush-style hunting, according to Smithsonian Magazine . 

Lions typically hunt at night and often lurk around water holes, streams and rivers, as those areas are hotspots for prey. Lions will also scavenge, and won't hesitate to steal other predators' kills or eat the leftovers, according to ALERT.

Male lions reach sexual maturity when they are around 2 years old, according to a research article published in 2018 in the journal Zoo Biology . However, male lions are unlikely to breed before the age of 4 or 5 years, when they are large enough to attempt to take over a pride and assert their access to sexually mature females, according to ALERT . 

Males as old as 16 years can still produce viable sperm but usually lose their mating rights once they can no longer fight off younger males. Male African lions that are trying to take over a pride will kill all of the cubs from other males to avoid competition. 

Most female lions give birth by the time they are 4 years old. The gestation period for lions is around four months. Females will give birth to their young away from others, and will hide the cubs for the first six weeks of their lives. At birth, the cubs only weigh around 2 to 4 pounds. (0.9 to 1.8 kg), according to ALERT , and they're completely dependent on their mother.

All of the females in a pride will mate at around the same time. After the first six weeks of rearing cubs alone, the mothers and cubs will rejoin the pride. Other females in the pride will contribute to raising all of their pride's young, and will even nurse other mothers' cubs, according to the San Diego Zoo. 

Lions are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species . About 75% of African lion populations are in decline; their current global population is estimated at 20,000 in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The population has been reduced by nearly 50% over the past two decades because of retaliatory killings by farmers whose livestock were eaten by lions, as well as from trophy hunting and habitat loss. 

Research published in Nov. 2021 in the journal Molecular Ecology  found that lions' ancestors inhabited North America by crossing the Bering Land Bridge, which once linked North America and northeast Asia, in multiple waves, alongside brown bears. 

In March 2022, scientists who studied the movement patterns of lions over diverse landscapes, discovered that the big cats' hunting behaviors varied significantly due to changes in vulnerability and distribution of the lions' prey. 

The research, which was published in the Journal of Mammalogy , studied three lion prides in Kruger National Park in South Africa, evaluating their hunting behavior around large herbivores.  

According to the study authors, lions left their home ranges to hunt on 13% of the nights when they were observed. Their results indicated that the lions left their home ranges as often as every second night to visit areas with shorter grass, where wildebeests grazed. 

To learn more about how wild lions can be protected, and the struggle to conserve lions, visit the Defenders of Wildlife website . Additionally, you can observe the hunting skills of a lioness in this clip from BBC Earth . 

Originally published on Live Science.

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36 Facts About African Lions (Panthera leo)

In this post, you’ll learn 36 facts about African lions. They are the world’s most iconic cats and one of the most famous African animals . You’ll learn about their habits, habitat, diet, differences with other lions, and much more. Plus lots of photos and an amazing video!

36 Facts About African Lions

The African lion is one of the most recognized animals in the world.

Famous for everything from its shaggy mane to its jaw-cracking roar, it’s an iconic symbol of strength, pride, loyalty, royalty, and fierceness.

But how much do you really know about the African lion? Are you able to tell fact from fiction?

Let’s test your knowledge. Here are just a few African lion facts for your perusal.

1. Where do African lions live?

African lions live in East, West, South and Central Africa. There are no species in the north. They’re sub-Saharan animals, meaning that they live below the Saharan Desert.

As for the countries that they roam, it’s a mixed bag. The lion population has declined so dramatically over the years that wild lions are functionally extinct in dozens of African countries, but they can still be found in zoos, nature reserves and national parks.

There have also been reports of wild lions popping up in unexpected places and scaring the life out of local residents. They definitely like to keep people on their toes.

See the tree-climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. They appear at about 3:45 in the video. 

2. How many African lions are left in the world?

It’s estimated that there are around 23,000 – 39,000 lions in the world. The grand majority are in Africa with a small percentage located in India. The most critically endangered species is the West African lion; there are less than 400 remaining.

In their prime, there were as many as 200,000 wild lions roaming the whole of the African savanna, but their numbers and ranges are only a fraction of what they used to be.

Take a look at their distribution map . The red is where they used to live; the blue is where they live today.

3. What country in Africa has the most lions?

If you want to see wild lions in the flesh, you’ll need to travel to South and East Africa. Countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe have the largest lion populations.

As for protected lions, they can be found in places like the Masai Mara National Reserve (Kenya) and Etosha National Park (Namibia). You can also take safari circuits around Serengeti National Park (Tanzania) to spot them.

4. What types of lions live in Africa?

This can get a bit complicated, so buckle up.

Lions as a species are classified as panthera leo . This is the umbrella term for all lions everywhere.

As for African lions, they come in two subspecies:

• Panthera leo leo (found in West and Central Africa)
• Panthera leo melanochaita (found in East and Southern Africa)

These two species can also be broken down into categories like “Masai lion” and “Ethiopian lion.” Each category used to have its own scientific name, and it isn’t uncommon to see older books and websites list them as panthera leo krugeri , panthera leo vernayi or panthera leo massaica .

In 2017, however, the Cat Classification Task Force looked at blood samples and realized that all of these fiddly little categories were meaningless from a chromosomal standpoint. African lions only had two types of DNA between them.

So, from an official and scientific standpoint, there are only two subspecies of African lions: P. l. leo and P. l. melanochaita . But it’s still common to see people talking about others.

5. What is the habitat of the African lion?

African lions live in grassy plains and savannas. They aren’t afraid of bleached yellow fields with the sun beating down on them.

At the same time, however, they like to stick close to water sources like lakes, rivers and streams. They also like the dense cover provided by trees and bushes; it’s common for lions to drag their prey into these secluded areas so that they can chow down in peace.

6. What do African lions eat?

African lions are carnivores. They eat deer, Cape buffalo , zebra , wildebeests, waterbucks and even baboons. Occasionally, a pride will take down an elephant or giraffe , but this is rare.

Lions generally prefer bigger prey to smaller prey, and they like to hunt free animals in wide, open spaces. They only go after livestock if food is scarce in their region.

For example, farmers in Cameroon have reported that lions only feed on their cows and goats during the rainy season when they can’t find food elsewhere.

7. How often do lions feed?

Lions feed frequently; they’re a lot like humans in the sense that they can’t run on fumes for long. They might last anywhere between 10 – 14 days without food before their bodies start to break down.

When they do eat, however, they feast. Their average intake is around 10 – 20 pounds of meat per day, and this isn’t taking into account the times when they gorge.

If they take down a large animal or herd, lions will stuff themselves silly. Males can consume up to 95 pounds at a time ; females can eat more than 55 pounds.

8. How does a lion attack its prey?

The first thing to know about lions is that they hunt in groups. They’re unlike every other “big cat” species in this regard; African leopards and tigers hunt alone, but the lion almost always has a pride.

They generally find and stalk their prey around the water sources where they congregate. The other animals come in for a drink, and the lions attack.

They aren’t very subtle about it. Lions aren’t sneaky ambush predators who lie in wait before striking at an opportune moment.

Instead, they charge right in for the kill, and they don’t care if their prey is in a large group. They’ll simply cause a mass panic and use the ensuing chaos to isolate and overwhelm a slow member of the species.

This is where their teamwork comes in handy: Once they lock into their prey, they can encircle it and keep it from escaping.

Some prides even use the same left and right “wing” formations every time that they attack.

9. What happens when a lion finally catches its prey? Why do they bite the neck?

Lions use their front and back paws to subdue their prey by knocking it off-balance. They might also jump on top of the animal and use their body weight to wrestle it to the ground.

If they have a clear shot at the neck, they’ll take it; otherwise, they’ll bite the face, nose, mouth and throat over and over.

This is to suffocate the animal while also keeping the lion clear of any horns or hooves that could hurt them.

10. How do lions eat their prey? Is there anything that a lion won’t eat?

Lions dig into the stomach first. They open the animal’s abdomen and eat its entrails.

They’re fond of hearts, livers and kidneys, but they’ll eat almost anything except for the skull and brain. It’s rare for lions to find those tasty. They’ll leave them for another scavenging predator.

11. How dangerous is the African lion? Is it an aggressive species?

African lions are extremely dangerous.

Their size and strength make them one of the most formidable hunters in the animal kingdom, and they have naturally aggressive personalities that often cause fights even among members of the same pride.

They might work together to take down a warthog, but once the warthog is dead, it’s every cat for himself. Smaller and weaker lions might not get a chance to feed at all. Even mothers have been known to leave their cubs hungry in favor of feeding themselves.

12. Will a lion attack a human? Do lions eat humans?

While lion attacks are rarer than you might expect from sensational media coverage, it’s still something that can and does happen. It’s estimated that anywhere from 50 – 100 people are killed by lions every year.

The deaths are usually the result of defensive or territorial behavior on behalf of the lion. It’s unusual for lions to stalk humans as prey.

When they do go after humans, however, they tend to be prolific about it. Man-eating lions have been known to stalk specific villages or work sites for months on end.

They don’t actually “develop a taste for blood,” but they’re smart enough to recognize a stable food source when they see one, so they’ll linger in an area and kill literally hundreds of people until they’re driven off.

13. What are some famous examples of lion attacks?

The craziest lion attacks in the world come from the Tsavo Man-Eaters . They were a pair of lions that terrorized a construction project in the Tsavo region of Kenya and Uganda.

For nine months, they dragged men off in the middle of the night to kill and eat them. The final death toll was around 135 people.

Another dangerous group of lions were the Njombe Lions. Over the course of three generations, they killed between 1,500 – 2,000 people in the Njombe region of Tanzania. They were active for decades before they were finally eradicated.

You might also have heard of the Game of Thrones editor who was killed while on safari in South Africa. She’d rolled down her window to take pictures, and a lion reared up next to her vehicle and killed her. It was a tragedy that made headlines all over the world.

14. Are lions endangered?

While not quite endangered, lions are listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their population is on the decline, and they’re considered functionally extinct in many areas of Africa where they used to be quite frequent. It’s estimated that their numbers fall between 30 – 50 percent every couple of decades.

The situation is even worse for the West African lion. It’s considered “critically endangered” with an extremely low number of sexually mature adults who are able to reproduce.

These lions are the focus of several different conservation efforts to preserve their species.

15. When did the lion become endangered?

There’s no exact timeline for the decline of the African lion. In fact, this lack of detailed data is part of the reason why the problem got so bad in the first place.

For most of the 20th and 21st century, lions weren’t tracked or monitored by advocacy groups. They seemed to be thriving, and there were plenty of zoos, circuses, reserves and national parks that had lion populations.

It wasn’t until recently that people realized just how much the population and range of the lion had decreased. Instead of flourishing in their scattered locations, they were actually dying out. They weren’t being shared, traded or bred fast enough to maintain a stable population.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation , lions have lost 85 percent of their natural range in the past century.

16. How many lions are left? How many of them are African lions?

According to the IUCN, there are 23,000 – 39,000 African lions in the world. Only 400 or so are West African lions, and less than 250 of those lions are mature adults.

To protect their dwindling numbers, most West African lions are kept in federally-funded national parks and nature reserves. They can be found in places like Chad, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Namibia and Niger.

If that sounds like a lot, however, you should know that their population in each country can be measured by the dozen. There’s a reason that West African lions are critically endangered.

The good news is that the lion species as a whole is hanging in there. They’ve even managed to surprise animal experts every now and then.

• In 2015, for example, a group of 200 lions were found wandering through a national park in Ethiopia . Wild lions were thought to be extinct in that country, so it caused quite a stir.
• The same thing happened in Ghana later in the year; a male and female lion were spotted in a national park. It was the first time that wild lions had been recorded in Ghana for 39 years.

17. How big are African lions? How much do they weigh?

African lions range from 8 – 10 feet with an average body weight of 320 – 420 pounds. This is the same for both panthera leo leo and panthera leo melanochaita even though the former is usually a bit smaller than the latter. Males are always bigger than females.

As for record-breaking felines, the largest verified African lion measured 10.9 feet, and the heaviest weighed 690 pounds. The fat lion was a known man-eater.

It’s a bit gruesome to think about how he put on the weight.

More reading: Can an ostrich kill a lion?

18. What does an African lion look like?

African lions are light yellow to dark brown. They have thick, sturdy bodies with muscular limbs. Their snouts are elongated and topped with whiskers. Like other lions, the males have manes.

A surprising fact about manes is that they can be different lengths and colors. Some lions have short, choppy manes; others have long, luxurious manes. Their colors include yellow, brown, beige and reddish.

Research suggests that the appearance of a lion’s mane might have to do with his fighting prowess. Older, stronger lions tend to have movie-worthy manes while young and weak lions are more ragged.

19. What did extinct African lions look like?

The “Cape lion” had a black mane that extended across its entire torso from the shoulders to the belly.

The “Ethiopian lion” had a dark brown mane with black tips. There’s also some artwork from ancient Egypt where the lions are depicted with no manes at all. It’s a shame that we’ll never get to see these specimens in real life.

20. Are white lions real?

Yes. White lions are a type of South African lion that are highly prized for their unusual appearance. They aren’t albino; they were simply born or bred with recessive genes. Their coloring can range from a blondish yellow to a true white.

The rarest lion of all is the blue-eyed white lion . They’re so striking that African tribes have worshiped them as gods or the favorites of the gods.

One legend has it that white lions were the first animals to be created, so they’ll be the last animals to die. When all other life has ended, the roar of the white lion will be the last thing ever heard in the world.

21. What are the differences between Asian lions and African lions?

The easiest way to differentiate between Asian and African lions is by looking at their bellies. The Asian lion has a vertical “fold” of skin that runs along its stomach, and this feature isn’t present in African lions.

Aside from that, African lions are bigger and stronger than Asian lions. They also have larger manes and tails.

One interesting thing to note about Asian and African lions is that they can’t be cross-bred. A disastrous attempt was made in the ’80s, but it produced weak, sickly hybrids that didn’t survive for very long.

Even though other cats like tigers and leopards can be cross-bred with different types of their own species, Asian and African lions simply don’t mix.

22. What’s the lifespan of the African lion?

It’s difficult to determine the lifespan of an African lion because they rarely die of natural causes. However, it’s generally agreed that they live between 10 – 15 years in the wild.

In captivity, they can last around 20 – 25 years. According to the Animal Aging and Longevity Database , the oldest lion ever recorded was 27 years old when he died. He lived in a zoo.

23. What do you call a group of lions? How large are these groups?

A group of lions is called a pride. They can grow as large as 40 lions in a single pride, but the average is closer to 13 – 15. They don’t spend all of their time together; it’s common for smaller groups to wander off and hunt, roam, mate and play. Females drastically outnumber males in every pride.

24. How many male lions are in a pride? Can there be more than one?

There are usually 2 – 3 males in every pride with 10 – 12 females. The females are all related, but the males will break away or be forced away from the pride when they start to mature.

They might survive as solitary animals for a while, or they might form “coalitions” with other unattached males.

When they reach full maturity, they’ll forcibly fight and take over another pride.

25. How old are male lions when they leave the pride?

Male lions are usually around 2 – 3 years old when they leave their pride, and they’re 5 – 6 years old when they start challenging the males of other prides.

However, it’s important to understand that lions aren’t like wolves. There’s no “alpha” or “dominant” male that rules over everyone.

The males in a pride might attack each other for food or mating rights, but these conflicts are rarely fatal, and the beaten lion will simply lick his wounds for awhile before issuing another challenge.

The next time, he might win the fight and be the first one to eat a liver or mate with a female. The hierarchy of a pride can be quite flexible in this way.

26. What happens during a takeover? Is it true that male lions kill the cubs?

Yes. Incoming male lions will slaughter the cubs of the pride that they’re taking over.

When a male lion successfully fights and integrates with a new pride, one of his primary goals is reproducing as quickly as possible.

A quirk of lion mothers is that they aren’t interested in re-mating until their cubs are around 18 months old, but they’ll re-mate in days if their cubs are lost or killed.

So, to expedite his own reproduction, a male will kill the existing cubs in a pride and free up the mothers for mating.

27. Do the mothers attempt to save their cubs?

They might have the occasional moment of selfishness over food, but female lions will fiercely defend their cubs during a takeover. They’re usually joined by other mothers and females in the pride.

In fact, some prides have “creches” of mothers that communally raise and nurse their babies, and if they’re attacked by an incoming male or male coalition, they’ll work together to drive them off.

28. Do male lions hate cubs in general?

No. The Lion King didn’t lie to you; adult male lions can be very affectionate towards their offspring, allowing them to play with their manes or nip at their tails.

It just has to be their offspring and not another males. Remember this fact the next time that you judge Scar for hating Simba.

29. Do African lions have any mating rituals?

African lions reach sexual maturity between 3 – 4 years for females and 5 – 6 years for males. They’ll mate at any time of year, so there’s no particular season or month for it.

They’re also a bit like rabbits in the sense that they just don’t stop once they get going. A pair of mating lions will join together between 20 – 50 times per day!

30. How often do African lions give birth? What’s the process like?

Female African lions generally breed every two years or so. As previously discussed, they won’t be interested in new males until their cubs are around 18 months old, so that’s a mandatory break in the mating cycle unless their cubs are lost or killed.

They generally break away from the pride after getting pregnant. They’ll set up a den in a secluded cave or thicket, and after 3 – 4 months, they’ll give birth to anything from a single cub to a small litter.

31. How long does the African lion cub stay with its mother?

African lion cubs are completely dependent on their mothers after birth. They’re born blind, only opening their eyes after a week or so, and they can’t walk for close to a month.

As you might imagine, this leaves them extremely vulnerable to predators. From scavenging hyenas to takeovers from unattached male lions, they’re helpless before the dangers of the world. It’s estimated that 80 percent of lion cubs don’t make it to adulthood.

Mothers will return to their pride when their cubs are 6 – 8 weeks old. If any creches exist, she’ll join them. Female cubs grow up and stay with their pride; male cubs grow up and set off to challenge others.

32. What threats face the African lion?

Hunting is the single biggest threat to the African lion. They’ve been considered trophies since ancient times, and their bones and body parts are used in a variety of foods, medicines and fashion accessories.

It’s illegal in many African countries to kill a lion, but that doesn’t stop people from doing it. Farmers shoot or poison lions in retaliation for killing their livestock; hunters come to Africa for the glory of killing big game.

There’s also a booming trade industry for lion parts. Between 2008 and 2016, more than 6,000 skulls, claws and lion skeletons were exported from South Africa to Asia.

33. Is a tiger stronger than a lion? Can a tiger kill a lion?

It’s the “Superman Versus Batman” question of the animal kingdom. If a tiger and a lion got into a fight, who would win?

The short answer is that it depends . Both species are around the same size, and they’re both considered apex predators in their natural habitats. You can’t say that a tiger would always defeat a lion or vice versa.

Generally speaking, however, the tiger does have an advantage over the lion . Tigers are used to hunting as individuals while lions nearly always take down their prey in packs. In a one-on-one fight with everything else being equal, the odds would probably be on the tiger.

Another factor to consider is the type of tiger (there are 6 living subspecies ).

And the fact that there are no tigers in the wild in Africa. This would make this question of dominance less weighty – because the odds are against them ever meeting.

Here’s an entire breakdown of the debate if you’d like to read more.

34. Are male lions stronger and faster than females?

Male lions are bigger and heavier than females, but there’s been some research to suggest that females are faster.

It might have something to do with their hunting habits. Females are the primary hunters of their pride.

Lions are some of the fastest land animals in the world .

35. Why do lions roar? Why are they so loud?

Lions might roar for any number of reasons. They might do it as an aggressive gesture to warn away other lions in the area; they might do it to locate their own pride if it’s scattered across the savanna.

Their big, ear-splitting roars are the ones that are always depicted in movies, but roars can also be quite soft. For example, a lioness might gently roar to collect her wayward cubs. This is less of a “back off” roar and more of a “kids, it’s time to come inside” roar.

Did you know that loins are one of the loudest animals on earth ?

36. Do lions have any significance in African culture or history?

Lions have been featured in art, dance, poetry, literature, and folklore as long as Africa has been a continent.

They’ve had immense meaning to everyone from ancient pharaohs to modern shamans. Some people believe that lions are good luck or signs of strength; others believe that lions are man-eating omens of death and doom.

Regardless of what you might think about African lions, however, one thing is for sure: They’re definitely some of the most memorable creatures in the animal kingdom.

Keep reading: What’s the Difference: Panther vs Jaguar?

Hi, I'm Bryan Haines . And I'm a co-founder of Storyteller.Travel . I'm a traveler and photographer.

I also blog about photography on Storyteller Tech .

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Lion guide: species facts and where they live in the wild

Often described as the king of the jungle, lions are a distinctive and well-known big cat species. Learn about lions in our expert guide, including where they live in the wild and diet.

Emily Gobbett

The African lion is one of the most iconic and revered mammals in the world. With its strong jaw, powerful body, and fierce roar – which can be heard several miles away, it is easy to see why this species has been admired throughout history.

While the species once roamed widely in parts of Europe and Asia, numbers of lion have declined significantly in recent years, with lions now only found in parts of Africa.

One of the big cat species and a domineering apex predator , our expert lion guide looks at key species facts, including identification, diet, habitat and why the species is now endangered.

How many species of lion are there?

There is only one species of lion, which is known scientifically as Panthera leo . There are two recognised subspecies, the African lion P. l. leo and the Asiatic lion P. l. persica .

Some taxonomists have proposed a different split of the subspecies - with P. l. leo covering lions in Asian and west, central and north Africa, and P. l. melanochaita for lions in south and east Africa.

You may also like:

• Apex predators in the wild: which mammals are the most dangerous?
• Tiger guide: species facts, how they hunt and where to see in the wild
• Jaguar guide: how to identify, where to see and conservation

Why do lions have manes?

Male lions boast impressive manes, conveying a range of information about their owners status among the pack. Long dark manes indicate that the lion is in peak condition. The darker the mane, the more attractive to females. However, long dark manes can also lead to lower sperm counts in males when temperatures rise.

Why do lions roar?

Lions have very complex communication behaviours, producing a variety of calls, but are known for being the king of the roar. A lions roar can be heard from 8km away, being brought on by a number of reasons. From territorial displays to locating other members of the pride, allowing females to differentiate between outsiders and males of the pack, helping them protect their cubs from lions that could potentially attack their young in aims to overthrow the pack.

Scarface: the legacy of a lion

As the sun sets on the reign of the most famous lion ever to walk the Maasai Mara, we look back at the life of a legend – and the winds of change blowing through this iconic grassland.

Read about Scarface: the legacy of a lion

Are lions king of the jungle?

Lions once lived in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America an Northern India. Now lions primarily live in Africa, aside from a small group of Asiatic lions that live in India’s Gir Forest.

African lions have a variety of different habitats, from open woodland, to harsh desert environments, these versatile animals can adapt to many different environments, although you’ll never find them in the rainforest.

Can lions and tigers co-exist?

India is the only country in the world that is currently home to both of these charismatic big cats, and history and biology say they can indeed co-exist. The felines’ ranges overlapped for millennia across much of western Asia – in India, this was the case into the early 19th century.

Much as predators co-exist in Africa, tigers and lions can live together within carefully drawn boundaries. For example, they may use adjoining habitats, or the same habitats at different times. Behavioural adaptation is another strategy, particularly when it comes to hunting: tigers are largely killing prey by ambush, while lions are social felids, hunting co-operatively with their prides.

The question of lions and tigers as neighbours is gaining importance in India. The Kuno Palpur Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh has been ‘prepared’ and is awaiting translocation of a number of Asiatic lions, which survive only in the greater Gir landscape in Gujarat, western India. In the meantime, tigers are moving into Kuno from the famous Ranthambhore Reserve, crossing rivers and ravines along the way.

This Q&A originally appeared in BBC Wildlife Magazine , and was answered by Prenrna Bindra.

What do lions eat?

Lions will kill anything, from mice and lizards to wildebeest and other large animals to feed the pack. If an opportunity arises, lions will steal kills from wild dogs or hyenas.

Most hunting takes place at dusk until dawn with the cooler temperatures being essential for the long hours spent in search of food. On days where food is highly accessible, an average male lion can consume 15 percent of their body weight.

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What is a baby lion called?

Young lions are called cubs. When they are born with blue eyes, changing to an amber hue at the age of three months. At eleven months cubs will start to hunt, and will remain with their mother for around two years. Females often stay on to become members of the pride, whereas male cubs will go off attempting to establish their own. Females tend to have two to three cubs per litter.

How many lions live in a pride?

Lions are the most sociable members of the cat family living in prides with up to 25 others. This is down to the availability of prey in the area. The females are all related, often making up the majority of the pride, consisting of only 1-4 males.

Do lions often climb trees?

Not really, says Sarah Huebner from the Lion Research Centre. Though individuals from most prides exhibit tree-climbing behaviour, they don't do it very often - in less than five per cent of observations.

The primary motivation for heading up into the branches it to avoid something unpleasant on the ground, such as an attack by elephants or buffalo. These skirmishes often occur after a failed predation event, when the prey animals have sufficent numcers to retaliate. Elephants and buffalo are quite capable of killing a cornered lion due to their size and strength.

Lions may also climb trees to get better vantage points for identifying potential targets, or to avoid biting insects.

More related content:

• Lions face new poaching threat for body parts
• African reserves could support more lions, according to new report
• Study claims that hunting lions helps to conserve them

Why is the African lion endangered?

Overall, lions are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, although the different subpopulations have different classifications. The Asiatic subspecies is listed as Endangered.

Lions face a number of threats, including habitat loss, a decline in their prey species, trade in bones and other body parts for traditional medicine, and killing in retribution and defence of human life and livestock.

How can lions survive?

Words: James Fairfield

What do you think will save lions from going the way of sabre-toothed cats? More severe penalties for persecution? Greater restrictions on where people can live? Or a model that offers those Africans who live with lions some recompense for doing so?

Lions are in trouble. Populations are declining across Africa, mainly because of increasing conflict with herders of cattle and other livestock.

In short, people kill lions to stop them from taking their cows, sheep and goats.

Lions in some countries are fairing better than others. In South Africa, for example, the population increased by 7 per cent over two decades, largely thanks to the use of fencing that separates the predators from the people.

In Zimbabwe, numbers have grown by more than 1,000 per cent (but from a very, very low base of about 50), mainly on the back of trophy hunting.

But in all of West Africa and even popular wildlife tourism destinations such as Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia, they're disappearing at a rate of knots.

Now new research has found that lions are doing better in the Masai Mara ecosystem, in Kenya (where in fact the overall country trend is down) thanks to the creation of community conservancies.

Households with conservancy membership receive a share of the money that comes from wildlife tourism. Where there are lions and other carnivores, you get more tourists and local people are financially better off.

The paper, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, shows that the average lion population density within the Mara’s conservancies – almost 12 lions per 100km2 – between 2008 and 2013 was 2.6 times higher than previously reported in 2003.

Not only that, but those livestock settlements that were not members of a conservancy and were within the home range of a lion pride had a large negative effect on lioness survival rates.

“This suggests that lions can survive outside of fenced areas within pastoral regions if communities gain benefits from wildlife,” say the authors, led by Sara Blackburn and Dr Grant Hopcraft of the University of Glasgow.

Dr Laurence Frank, director of the Living With Lions project, added: “Only local people can reverse the downward spiral [in wildlife numbers], and this study shows that profits from tourism can motivate rural people to tolerate rather than eliminate wild animals.”

Find out about Living With Lions

How to survive a lion attack

Words: John Coppinger

Most lions flee, even from people on foot, but an attack is a possibility and knowing how to react could save your life. Walking safaris are a relatively new concept, and lions still perceive humans on foot as a threat.

Conversely, as the biggest tourist attraction in many African wildlife reserves, lions have become fairly habituated to vehicles and can be approached to within a few feet. Indeed, they often appear totally oblivious to them, despite the excited chattering of their occupants and the clicking of cameras.

Lion behaviour varies from region to region. When I first went to Zambia’s North Luangwa National Park, it was virtually devoid of tourists, so the lions weren’t habituated.

Many of our early encounters with lions there (while we were building a camp) developed into mock charges, which was disconcerting to say the least.

What to do if you are attacked by a lion

Being charged by a lion when you are on foot is extremely frightening. It is difficult to stop yourself from bolting, but that is likely to prompt an attack. A lion charge is usually accompanied by a deep growling sound that reverberates through your very core.

It is vital to stand your ground, perhaps retreating very slowly, but to continue facing the lion while clapping your hands, shouting and waving your arms around to make yourself look bigger. Most charges are mock charges, so you will usually be fine.

And remember: hold your ground! Never run or turn your back.

How to avoid been attacked by a lion

Do not approach too closely, especially in the case of mating lions or lionesses with cubs. Different circumstances trigger different behaviour. During courtship, male lions are often extremely aggressive and should not be approached, even in a vehicle.

A lioness with cubs is naturally protective and should be given lots of space. And being predominantly nocturnal, lions lose their inherent fear of humans at night and become much more dangerous and prone to attack.

Be more cautious at night. Avoid camping in areas of high lion density – maintain a watch throughout the night if worried.

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The lions of Africa: expert advice on how to see them on your next safari

Sep 8, 2022 • 7 min read

Observing the social aspect of lions' lives is one of the most memorable elements of an encounter with the species © Thomas Retterath / Getty Images

Few experiences in Africa live longer in memory than the first time you see a lion.

Lithe and ferocious, lions are without rival as Africa’s apex predator and carry on their body what one lion expert described as an “aura of impending violence”. The epitome of wild Africa, they are also the most sought-after prize on any safari to East Africa or Southern Africa for their combination of grace and grandeur, charisma and gravitas. Here we introduce you to the king of Africa’s cats, and tell you where's best to see them.

Africa’s biggest cat

Second in size among felines only to the tiger, lions are easily Africa’s largest cat species. Males can be over 2.5m long, 3.5m if you include the tail. The heaviest wild male lion recorded weighed in at a rather hefty 272kg. Females generally weigh between 110kg and 168kg. Lions can eat up to 25% of their own body weight in a single session and, on such occasions, even male lions can appear pregnant, so swollen are their bellies.

Female lions can live up to 18 years in the wild; males have been known to live up to 16, but rarely make it past 12. Lions can live up to 27 years in captivity.

A social beast

There are 38 species of wild cats in the world, and the lion is the only social cat among them. Lions live in prides which can include more than 30 individuals, although many prides are much smaller, especially in areas where pressure from human populations is high, or in regions where prey is scarce.

A multi-generational sisterhood of lionesses forms the core of nearly every pride. Females born into the pride will, in many cases, remain with their sisters and mothers, aunties and grandmothers throughout their lifetimes. Together this formidable team of lionesses raises the pride’s cubs and inhabits a defined home range that can be as small as 35 sq km, or as large as 1000. They hunt as a team, defend their territory together against intruders, and raise cubs in a collective creche-like environment.

Safari animals: the story of rhinos (and the best places to see them)

Lion pregnancies last between three and four months and, when they are ready to give birth, lionesses retreat to a secluded place where the cubs are born. The average size of a litter of lions is between two and four, but as many as seven have been recorded. Cubs cannot open their eyes until around ten days after birth, and mothers keep their cubs hidden until they are around eight weeks old. Despite the protection afforded by the pride, lions are particularly vulnerable during their first two years of life.

When they reach adulthood, which for lions usually occurs between two and four years of age, the young males will leave their natal pride and search for a territory of their own – this is nature’s way of ensuring that sexually mature males do not mate with their own relatives. They will often join with brothers or cousins to form a coalition and, largely nomadic, these dispersing males will wander until they can successfully challenge a resident male (or males) for control of a pride. Once in control, they will patrol their territory, sometimes remaining on their own with the other coalition male(s), sometimes hanging out with the pride females and cubs.

Where to see rhinos on safari in Africa in 2022

What lions eat

Lions are great opportunists and will eat springhares, elephants and most animals in between. Their favorite prey varies from one region to the next, but their diet often includes zebra, warthog, buffalo, wildebeest, impala, gemsbok, and warthog. One pride of lions even learned to hunt seals along Namibia’s northern coast. Lions also hunt giraffes – this is a particular specialty in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve . Lions commonly hunt elephants in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, especially late in the dry season (September and October); the weight imbalance between lions and elephants, which can weigh 3.5 tons, is the greatest disparity between predator and prey in the animal kingdom. Even one-tonne buffaloes can weigh more than seven times that of the adult lioness bringing it down.

A day on safari in Africa: what you can expect in camp and in the wild

Although lions are skilled hunters and can reach a top speed of 93km/h, they rely on short bursts of speed rather than stamina – a typical lion hunt requires that lions stalk their prey to within around 15m before launching their attack. And despite such skills, their recorded success rate as hunters can be as low as 15% and never higher than 38.5% – in other words, significantly more than half of all lion hunts end in failure. And contrary to popular belief, lions routinely scavenge a significant proportion of their meals.

Lions will also eat domestic livestock, especially cows, and donkeys. With human beings and lions living in ever-closer proximity, such killings are a major cause of human-lion conflict, with many lions killed in retaliation.

Protecting rhinos from poachers in Africa - what it's like working on the frontline

King of the jungle? 

Contrary to popular lore, the lion has never been king of the jungle: they are most at home out on savannah plains or in open woodlands. Lions can adapt to many different habitats, from dense woodlands in Ethiopia and Uganda to semi-arid environments such as Botswana’s Kalahari and the Skeleton Coast of northern Namibia. Although lions, like most cats, aren’t particularly fond of water, they have learned to become strong swimmers in Botswana’s watery Okavango Delta .

Are you ready for a self-drive safari?

The largest lion populations are in East and Southern Africa; some estimates suggest that half of Africa’s lions live in Tanzania . There are small lion populations elsewhere, including the Gir Forest, in the Indian state of Gujarat , and West Africa (where the lion is listed as Critically Endangered). The largest lion populations are in Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park (Tanzania), the Serengeti -Masai Mara (Tanzania and Kenya ), Kruger National Park (South Africa) and the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (which spans Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe).

The best places to see lions on safari

Northern Botswana has excellent lion-watching territory, including Moremi Game Reserve and elsewhere in the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park  (especially the Savuti region) and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. 

Kenya is home to around 2000 lions, with sightings possible in Masai Mara Game Reserve and the surrounding community conservancies, Amboseli , Tsavo East and Tsavo West  and Lake Nakuru national parks, as well as Samburu National Reserve and the conservancies of the Laikipia Plateau .

Wild times: a guide to the best national parks in Kenya

There aren’t many places in Namibia where you can see lions, but Etosha National Park in the country’s north is a brilliant exception. Khaudum National Park and the emerging parks of the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip) are quieter alternatives.

Beyond safaris, these are Namibia’s most awe-inspiring experiences

South Africa

Lions have been reintroduced onto many private reserves in South Africa. Otherwise, Kruger National Park is one of the world’s best places to see lions. Madikwe Game Reserve and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park are less busy but also filled with lions.

The top 19 beaches in South Africa for sand, surf and scenery

This is prime lion-viewing land, and includes the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park in the north, and Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park in the south.

Tanzania: an epic safari following the Serengeti's Great Migration

A much-underrated lion-watching destination, Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park is excellent, with North Luangwa and Kafue national parks offering wilder experiences.

Unforgettable adventure activities in Zimbabwe and Zambia

Hwange National Park is one of Africa’s best national parks and lion sightings are common. Mana Pools is another park with a healthy lion population that you can watch while on a walking safari.

8 vital things to know about South African safaris

Lions in peril?

There are more rhinos, more elephants and more gorillas than there are lions in Africa. No one really knows how many lions there were in Africa a century ago, but most estimates suggest that it was more than a million. A study in 2019 estimated that there were just 22,509 left on the continent and that lions have disappeared from 95% of their former range.

Many lions live in isolated populations that may not be viable in the long term, and just 40% of Africa’s lions live within the boundaries of protected areas. Just eight countries are believed to have at least 500 adult lions: Tanzania, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The lion is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Where to go for your first safari in Africa

This article was first published Oct 28, 2019 and updated Sep 8, 2022.

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LIONS TOUR TO AUSTRALIA 2025

The missing ingredient will be back in 2025 and we cannot wait to make the next British & Irish Lions Tour the biggest and most successful yet.

Australia will be the destination for the world’s greatest touring team and we want it to be a celebration on and off the field. Nothing makes a Lions Tour special like the fans. The iconic Sea of Red is unique in sport and we’d love you to be there with us under the Lions banner.

Our experiences put you, the fans, first. With a great range of options, durations, destinations, inclusions, incredible special events, safety and security, we have it covered so you don’t have to worry.

Lets make The Lions roar in 2025. Join us now.

Book your place on Tour!

The British & Irish Lions has today launched its match ticket-inclusive travel packages for the 2025 Tour to Australia with more than 300 options to select from, the greatest variety of offers ever available to fans. [more]

The British & Irish Lions has today launched its match ticket-inclusive travel packages for the 2025 Tour to Australia with more than 300 options to select from, the greatest variety of offers ever available to fans.

• CLICK HERE to book.

For the first time, customers can now extend their trip of a lifetime, stopping off in destinations such as Fiji, Dubai or Singapore. As well as the three-Test destinations of Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney, fans can take in the length and breadth of the country from Perth to Cairns, Adelaide to Uluru.

Packages range from weekend breaks for those wanting to stay with friends and family in Australia, to a 39-night trip taking in 10 destinations and all nine matches. Packages are available from £725.

Tickets bought through The British & Irish Lions own travel company Lions Rugby Travel, or officially appointed companies are all guaranteed official tickets.

The British & Irish Lions is warning fans from the UK, Ireland and Europe that tickets bought through any other sources will be unofficial and will be cancelled.

Today’s British & Irish Lions travel package launch coincides with Rugby Australia’s public ticket sales for the Tour. As 2025 Tour hosts, Rugby Australia welcomes the Lions for the first time in twelve years with demand for tickets in Australia expected to be at an all-time high.

The British & Irish Lions and Rugby Australia announced last year the creation of a joint venture for the 2025 Tour to Australia.

The joint venture model which was successfully introduced for the 2021 Tour of South Africa aims to maximise the Tour’s offering by bringing together two of the biggest brands in world rugby to work in a more collaborative and engaging way.

• CLICK HERE to book

Four years on from the absence of fans in South Africa, The British & Irish Lions is excited to once again engage its global fan base of over 14 million ahead of what is an eagerly anticipated Tour to Australia.

Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will host the first Test in the Series on Saturday 19 July as Andy Farrell’s side face Australia for the first time since the famous Series victory in 2013. The second Test will be played on Saturday 26 July at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which has a capacity of 100,000.

The final Test will be played in front of over 80,000 fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday 2 August. In preparation for the first Test the Lions will face an invitational Australian and New Zealand team at the Adelaide Oval, while the Tour will also include fixtures against Australian Super Rugby Pacific sides in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne.

The range of official supporter travel packages includes a host of exclusive benefits such as hand-picked accommodation, the option to include or find your own return international flights, airport/hotel transfers, on Tour 24/7 customer support, merchandise including a Lions jersey, financial protection, a contribution to carbon footprint offsetting, while wine-tasting and Uluru excursions are included in some packages.

Also included for the first time in 2025 is exclusive access to the Lions Den and Theatre. The Lions Den is the ultimate Lions pre-match party, offering fans a festival of matchday entertainment with celebrity talent, rugby legends, live music, and food and drink.

The Lions Theatre is an innovative and insightful rugby focused event, providing exclusive, live entertainment, theatre and content that uncovers the history, the heroes and personalities who have played their part in making the Lions the greatest touring rugby team in the world.

For more information about the travel packages to Australia in 2025, please visit Lionsrugby.com/tours

Ben Calveley, CEO of The British & Irish Lions, commented: “Our purpose at The British & Irish Lions is to unite and inspire through extraordinary rugby experiences and for many fans a Lions Tour is a once in a lifetime experience.

“We are delighted to announce the launch of the ticket-inclusive Tour packages giving fans the opportunity to be part of one of the most eagerly anticipated Series in history. The fans are what makes a British & Irish Lions tour so special and we are looking forward to welcoming the iconic sea of red to Australia in 2025 as they get behind Andy and the team.”

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Nairobi | ol pejeta conservancy | lake elmenteita | lake nakuru | maasai mara summary itinerary pricing options & add-ons discover.

• Animal sightings on safari such as lion, elephant, and zebra.
• Outstanding tented accommodations at Sweetwaters Serena Camp.
• The picturesque beauty of the Kenyan countryside.
• Kenya in a specially designed 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof.
• Lake Nakuru, home to both black and white rhinos.
• The plains of the Maasai Mara where vast herds of animals roam free.
• Evening cocktails on cliffs overlooking Lake Elmenteita.
• An interactive cooking class with the chef of Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp.
• Breakfast by a Hippo pool in the Maasai Mara.
• Enjoy incredible views from a hot air balloon over the Mara.

Today, Ol Pejeta is the largest black rhino sanctuary in east Africa, and home to two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhino. It is the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, in a Sanctuary established to rehabilitate animals rescued from the black market. It has some of the highest predator densities in Kenya, and still manages a very successful livestock programme. Ol Pejeta also seeks to support the people living around its borders, to ensure wildlife conservation translates to better education, healthcare and infrastructure for the next generation of wildlife guardians.

Day 1 - Depart USA 

From the moment you board your Kenya Airways flight you will feel the warm African hospitality that the continent is known for. Sit back, relax, and get ready for a memorable safari vacation.

Day 2 - Arrive Nairobi

On arrival at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by a Lion World Travel representative and transferred to the 5-star Nairobi Serena Hotel.

Dinner tonight is included at your hotel.

Accommodation: Nairobi Serena Hotel - Standard Room (D)

Day 3 - nairobi/ol pejeta conservancy.

After breakfast depart in a 4x4wd Safari Land cruiser that is custom designed with a pop-up roof for maximum game viewing. 

Take a scenic drive to Sweetwaters Serena Camp located in a private conservancy with a higher wildlife-to-area ratio than any of Kenya's national parks. Arrive in time for lunch.

During your afternoon game drive, visit the Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a haven established by the Jane Goodall Institute to provide refuge to orphaned chimps and black rhino. There are 165 critically endangered eastern black rhinos that roam the conservancy. Return to the camp for dinner.

Accommodation: Sweetwaters Serena Camp - Morani Tent (B, L, D)

Day 4 - nakuru/lake elmenteita.

After breakfast drive towards Lake Elmenteita with a brief stop at the Thompson's Falls for a breathtaking view, arriving in time for lunch at Lake Elmenteita Serena Lodge. 

This afternoon, enjoy sundowner drinks overlooking the lake. Return to the camp for dinner.

Accommodation: Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp - Deluxe Tent (B, L, D)

Day 5 - lake elmenteita.

Depart for Lake Nakuru National Park, offering a variety of wildlife including prides of lion, Cape buffalo, waterbucks, wart hogs, the endangered Rothschild giraffes, black and white Rhino, Burchell’s zebra, impalas, and the elusive leopard among many others. 

Lunch at camp followed by an interactive cooking class. Later enjoy dinner at the camp. 

Day 6 - Lake Elmenteita/Maasai Mara National Reserve

Enjoy a game drive en route to Mara Serena Safari Lodge. Arrive in time for lunch at the camp and some relaxation time. 

Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge - Standard Room (B, L, D)

Day 7 - maasai mara national reserve.

A full day in the Maasai Mara after an early breakfast at the lodge followed by a full day game drive with a picnic box lunch. 

Return to the camp for dinner.

Day 8 - Maasai Mara National Reserve

A superb Hippo pool breakfast has been arranged for you on the banks of the world-famous Mara River.

After your leisurely breakfast your Maasai warrior guides you back along the riverbank to your vehicle. Enjoy another game drive as you drive back to the lodge.

At around 4pm, depart on an afternoon game viewing drive. Return to the lodge in the evening.

Day 9 - Maasai Mara/Nairobi/Depart

After breakfast depart the Maasai Mara and drive to Nairobi. 

Transfer to the Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, where you have the use of a dayroom. Later you will be transferred to Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.  (B)

Day 10 - Arrive USA

Arrive in New York on your Kenya Airways flight.

Return home with a lifetime of memories!

Azure Zanzibar

Zanzibar is the perfect post-safari beach destination, with its white sandy beaches, azure waters and alluring culture. Check out our Azure Zanzibar itinerary or speak to one of our Africa Specialists for more information.

OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS

Hot air balloon.

Enhance your safari with a peaceful and scenic view over the Maasai Mara in a hot Air Balloon US$500 per person.

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. Your Africa Specialist will be able to direct you to information regarding travel insurance.

Baggage Info

Includes Air

Prices are in US Dollars and are per person based on double occupancy accommodations and include fuel surcharges, Government taxes, departure fees and September 11th Security Fee. Based on a minimum of 4 passengers to operate. 

No Single Supplement on specific departures based on limited availability.  Ask a Safari Specialist for details. 

US$5099 per person based on double occupancy

Valid on the following departure dates:

June 7 - SOLD OUT June 14 - SOLD OUT June 21 - SOLD OUT

US$5299 per person based on double occupancy

June 24 - SOLD OUT

US$6099 per person based on double occupancy

June 29 - SOLD OUT

June 29 - SOLD OUT July 5 - ON REQUEST July 12 - ON REQUEST July 19 - SOLD OUT July 26 - SOLD OUT August 2 - SOLD OUT August 9 - ON REQUEST

US$5899 per person based on double occupancy

August 16 - ON REQUEST August 23 - ON REQUEST August 30

US$5799 per person based on double occupancy

September 6, 13, 20 October 4, 11

October 18, 25

November 15, 22

US$5199 per person based on double occupancy

November 29

US$5799 per person based on double occupancy  

December 13

US$5999 per person based on double occupancy  

December 20

December 27

US$4999 per person based on double occupancy

March 8 

May 10 

US$5699 per person based on double occupancy

US$6799 per person based on double occupancy

July 5, 12, 26

August 2, 9

US$6299 per person based on double occupancy

August 16, 23

US$6199 per person based on double occupancy

September 6, 13, 27

US$5999 per person based on double occupancy

October 4, 18

November 8, 22

US$6599 per person based on double occupancy

December 20, 27

Inclusions:

• Round trip economy International Airfare non-stop from New York (JFK) to Nairobi on Kenya Airways
• Transportation in a specially designed 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser with pop up roof for maximum game viewing with an English-speaking driver/guide
• Accommodation as specified
• Meals as specified
• Cooking class at Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp
• Evening cocktail/sundowner with half hour open bar
• Hippo pool breakfast
• Dayroom at Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel on the last day
• All park fees
• All government taxes
• Lion World Travel Representative meet and greet upon arrival
• Flying doctors coverage 

Exclusions:

• Telephone bills, laundry and any items of a personal nature
• Drinks, dining room tips, porterage
• Any item not specified above
• Costs of Passports and Visas
• Driver/Guide gratuities
• Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption and Medical Insurance are required for the duration of your travels –  please note that insurance for this trip is a mandatory requirement from suppliers in Africa – proof of insurance must be provided before bookings are confirmed.  It is your personal responsibility to ensure you have enough travel insurance coverage from the  provider of your choice . Please let your Africa Specialist know if you would like information on this.

Click here for airline baggage restrictions .

Speak to an Expert 1-800-387-2706

Traveler testimonial.

First of all, in a word, I would describe our trip as "perfect”! I must say that our guide, Po Po, was extraordinary. He made sure we saw the Big Five and he took very good care of us.

I want you to know that you did an amazing job setting everything up for us. All of our flights and transfers went on without a hitch. The Serena properties were just beautiful and very comfortable. We saw about 40+ species of animals, lions copulating, elephants with their babies, zebras on the run - I could go on and on.

Thank you very much for everything you did for us.

Sincerely, Judy & Robert F.

Staff Favorites

"From the moment I arrived in Kenya, to the sad time the safari ended, the tour was everything I had hoped it would be and so much more. The accommodations were wonderful, our guides and drivers were fantastic - doing everything they could to ensure we got to see as many of the animals as we could. We saw lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes and so much more. I really enjoyed the picturesque beauty of the Kenyan countryside and the breakfast by a Hippo pool in the Maasai Mara was an amazing experience." - Meeta Kapoor, Lion World Travel

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10 Cool Things About Lions

Inspiring and intimidating. Fascinating and fierce. Few animals are as exalted as the lion, the largest carnivore of the African savannah. 

But how much do you really know about lions? 

1. Lions coordinate attacks on prey

Almost like running a football play, lions are known to move into complex formations and take on different roles before launching an assault on unsuspecting prey. One common strategy is for several lions to stealthily encircle their prey in a triangular pattern, with one lion launching an ambush attack that drives their fleeing prey towards the other hidden lions. 

2. You will never hear a lion purr 

Unlike a house cat, lions and tigers cannot purr to show contentment. This is due to an anatomical difference in the hyoid apparatus that lies in the base of the animal’s throat. Smaller members of the feline family —l ike house cats, bobcats and sand cats — have a hyoid bone that can vibrate against the cat’s larynx. This vibration is what creates that soothing resonant noise, or purr, in small cats. But in big cats, the hyoid bone is replaced by a fleshy length of muscle and cartilage, which is the same feature that allows lions and tigers to roar. This appendage is too soft to vibrate like a hyoid bone, which means it’s biologically impossible for a lion to purr. 

So how do lions display their contentment? Often through a combination of growls, grunts and moans. 

3. When it comes to manes, size matters… or does it?

There is still much debate among the scientific community as to why male lions grow such thick, luscious manes. Some evidence suggests female lions may be more attracted to males with longer, darker manes, which could imply that a healthy head of fur lets females know that the male is a desirable candidate for breeding. Another common theory is a thick mane offers some degree of protection against bites to the throat from challenging males. Mane growth appears to be linked to testosterone levels, so a big, furry mane might send a message to potential rivals that they should think twice before picking a fight.

4. Hunting strategies vary by prey species 

A group of lions will often rely on ambushes to take down prey, but their exact hunting patterns vary depending on which animal they hunt. For smaller animals like gazelles and warthogs, lions will often attack with a straightforward ambush assault. For larger animals, like zebras or Cape buffalo, lions might choose to charge headlong at the herd, creating chaos and separating weak individuals who can be picked off more easily. One pride of lions in Botswana has been documented hunting elephants by isolating the calves from the rest of the herd, then driving them into a deep river and retrieving the carcass after their victim drowned.         

5. Lion prides don’t hang out in one big pile 

Lions are the most social species of cats. A pride of lions usually consists of six to 20 females, along with one or two males and the group’s cubs. Lions form strong bonds with the other members of their pride, but they do not always travel in tight formation. Instead, large groups of lions will often split up into fractured groups and disperse across the landscape, which allows them to defend their territory more effectively.   Pride members seem to stay in close communication with roars and often meet up for sharing kills, breeding and defending the territory from outside threats.

6. Male lions occupy a pride for 2-3 generations 

While the basic social unit for female lions is a pride, the story is a little more complicated for males. Young male lions are typically kicked out of their birth pride around adolescence, when it becomes clear to the adult male that the younger male will become competition. After leaving their birth pride, adolescent bachelor males form coalitions, usually made up of two or three males from the same litter. These groups will wander their habitat until they are ready to take over another pride—usually by challenging the resident male, or males, to a fight. When one male group challenges another, death is typically the result for the losing side. 

The new resident male, or males, in some cases, will defend the pride and serve as the females’ breeding partner for two to three generations, or about three to five years. After losing a challenge to a new coalition, the former resident male will either die or be driven out. Even if he survives, the losing male is forced into a nomadic life, and male lions typically do not live long lives as nomads. 

7. Some Zoo employees can hear lion roars from their nearby homes 

How loud is a lion’s roar? In the open savanna, a lion’s roar can be heard from over 5 miles (8 kilometers) away. One experiment measured a male lion roaring at 114 decibels—that’s nearly as loud as a thunderclap.

In Washington, D.C., a lion’s roar doesn’t travel quite that far. (By comparison, the lion exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is about two and a half miles, or four kilometers, from the White House.) But the roars from the Zoo’s beloved lions are loud enough that local Zoo neighbors, including a few keepers who live nearby, can hear them roaring from inside their homes and apartment buildings.

8. No fiber in your diet? Try hair instead!

Thanks to their relatively short digestive tracts, lions are obligate carnivores. This means they rely almost entirely on meat to sustain themselves. Long digestive tracts allow herbivores and omnivores to gradually extract nutrients from plant materials, which obligate carnivores cannot digest.   Lions may be seen eating grass, but this is usually when they are trying to settle an upset stomach.

Other non-meat items lions often ingest, such as fur, hair and bone fragments from their prey, add the bulk and structure necessary for a lion to cleanse and maintain a healthy bowel (or gut).

9. It is now (mostly) illegal to own a lion in the United States 

Lions are considered vulnerable by the IUCN, with an estimated 24,000 lions remaining in the wild. However, by some estimates, between 5,000-10,000 big cats are owned privately in the United States. Many of these big cats, including lions, tigers and jaguars, are held in non-accredited facilities that are not connected to broader conservation efforts.

In December 2022, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted to end the private ownership of big cats as pets, while placing new restrictions on commerce, breeding, possession and use of big cat species.

10. Lion populations are decreasing...but not everywhere

Wildlife experts do not consider lions to be at immediate risk for extinction. However, decades of habitat degradation, poaching and human persecution have taken their toll. The total number of lions has dropped by 43% in the past 21 years. As of 2023, lions occupy just 17% of their former African range.

Fortunately, organized efforts to protect lions and their habitats are starting to pay off. Local populations of lions appear to be increasing in some areas of Africa, and in the last decade, lions were spotted in wildlife reserves in Mozambique and Chad where they were thought to be locally extinct. The establishment of protected nature areas and wildlife corridors might prove to be the key to survival for lions and hundreds of threatened African species, but decades of work remain before these animals will no longer be at risk for extinction.

Interested in joining the effort to help lions? Consider volunteering at a local conservation organization or donating to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, which helps support animal care and wildlife conservation programs at home and abroad.

Also, you can learn more about the Zoo’s lions (and tigers) at the Great Cats exhibit, where the “ Meet a Lion/Tiger Keeper ” demo takes place at 11 a.m. daily.

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Lions have been held in awe by humankind for millennia. As a symbol of strength and courage, they have been associated with royalty and valour for centuries. From the gladiatorial arenas of Rome to the silver screen, lions have been cast as both heroes and villains in countless tales. Here, we attempt to separate myth from reality with our lion facts.  

Learning about lions for the first time?

Download and print our lion factsheet for interesting facts on these beautiful big cats.

Where do lions live?

Lions can be found in both Africa and Asia. In Asia, they are limited to the Gir Forest and National Park, whereas in Africa, they are found in scattered populations across the sub-Sahara region as well as east, west, and southern Africa. Three of the five largest remaining African populations are found in Tanzania.  

Lion populations across Africa are in decline and they have disappeared from much of their historical range in the last two decades, including 12 sub-Saharan countries altogether.  

Lions can also adapt to a broad range of habitats. Although we might imagine them as being predominantly savannah animals, they also thrive in grasslands, dense bush, and woodlands. They have even adapted to the arid conditions of the Kalahari Desert and the swampy marshlands of the Okavango delta.   

How much lion populations have decreased since the late 1990s.

As few as 20,000 lions remain in Africa today.

Average number of lions killed by humans each year.

How many lions are left in the world?

With lions living in sporadic and isolated populations across such a broad part of Africa, it is difficult to know their precise numbers. However, it is estimated that there are between 20-23,000 African lions left in the wild.

There are approximately 600 Asiatic lions left, all inhabiting th e Gir Forest (about the size of London), in Gujarat, India.

Lions can climb and will scale trees to relax, look out for prey and also avoid predators from other groups.

Female lions are called lionesses.

Lions are primarily ambush predators. They are ca pable of short bursts of high speed, reaching up to 50 mph (80kmph). However, this cannot be maintained for very long .   

Lions are apex predators and a keystone species. This means not only are they at the top of the food chain, but also play a role in managing and influenci ng the ecosystems they inhabit. Therefore, no animals deliberately prey upon or hunt lions. However, competing predators such as hyenas and painted dogs, will take the opportunity to kill and maybe eat lions isolated from a pride or caught out in the open.  

Lions show some variance in their size, depending on their favoured prey and geographical region. They also show sexual dimorphism, with males being larger and heavier than females.  

Males can weigh between 330-550 lbs. (150-250kg) and can stand 4 feet high at the shoulder and ten feet long (1.2 and 3 metres respectively). Females are slightly smaller, weighing in between 265-395 lbs. (120-180kg), and top out at 9 feet (2.7 metres) in length.  

In the wild, lions typically live to around 15 years of age. However, they can reach ages of up to 20. As happens too often, a lion recently killed for preying on livestock, was known to be 19 years old, and perhaps the oldest lion in Africa at the time.   

Yes, lions can swim – but they do not take to water in the same way tigers and jaguars do. In Africa, where they share ha bitat with large species of crocodiles, and hippos that are highly aggressive and territorial, they are more fearful and hesitant of large bodies of water and swim only out of necessity.  

Yes, lions are capable climbers. Due to their bulk and size, they are not as agile as leopards, and will hesitate to climb especiall y high – but it is not unusual for lions to climb trees to rest on low-level branches or observe the surrounding area.  

It was long thought that manes acted as protection to a male’s neck during fights and skirmishes with other lions. However, behavioural and biological evidence now suggests otherwise. Generally, the size and colouration of a mane likely indicates the physical fitness of the male lion. But, in dry and arid regions where a thick and heavy mane would not just be cumbersome, but possibly detrimental to their health, male lions typically have smaller manes, or don’t have them at all.   

Incredibly, in specific circumstances, lionesses have also been known to grow short manes. This is limited to populations that experience high levels of infanticide by marauding males, and it is suspected that stress hormones, generating higher levels of testosterone, result in mane growth – giving the appearance that these prides have more males than they do and resulting in fewer cases of infanticide.  

A family group of lions is called a pride . Prides are made up predominantly of females, led by 1-3 males. However , nomadic males might also travel and work together in small, single-sex bands known as coalitions.   

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The Best Places to See Lions

Published: April 17, 2024

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Are you looking for the Best Places to see Lions?

Seeing a Lion without a cage or bars around it is something very different. Many people see Lions in Zoos or Animal Parks around the world everyday, but being able to witness the beauty of the “King of the African Wildlife” in the wild is really something to remember. 

So let’s start with giving you an overview about Lions in general, looking into the Lion Distribution and Habitat and highlighting the Best Places to see Lions in the Wild.

Have a look at the subsections below. 

What you need to know about Lions

Family picture of three lions. Taken in Masai Mara National Park, southwest Kenya. Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lions are sometimes called “King of the Animals . They appear in the fairy tales and fables of many peoples. 

We often find statues of lions in front of palaces and on large squares. Especially powerful men like to show themselves with pictures of lions to make themselves appear especially powerful and strong.

Lions once lived in Europe too, but they have long since become extinct here. Today, lions only exist in Africa south of the Sahara desert and in Gir National Park in India.

There are even places where you can walk with Lions .

Lions are big and strong. Male animals grow up to 2.5 metres long, about 1.2 metres high and weigh more than 200 kg. Females are smaller and lighter.

The fur is yellowish to dark ochre in colour. The males have a long brown mane, which protects their neck during fights. It takes five years for young lions to grow a mane. The tail of the animals ends in a black tassel.

Lions can run up to 65 kilometres per hour, but they only maintain this speed for a short time. They can jump about six metres far and two to three metres high.

Why do lions roar? Male  lions  will use their  roar  to scare off potential enemies and warn the pride of danger. It can also be seen as a show of power.

Are you a fan of the African Continent?  Have a look on the top Safari Parks in Africa were we collected everything about the best places to see wild animals.

Lion Habitat and Distribution

Learn about where lions live and what kind of habitat they like.

Lion Habitat 

As habitat lions prefer the savannah. Here there is grass to hide in and watering places where the prey also lives. This is the best place for lions to hunt.

However, there are fewer and fewer lions living freely on earth. It is estimated that today, only about 16,000 to 30,000 animals live in freedom. Their habitat is becoming scarcer as more and more land is being used for agriculture. Even in large areas of Africa there are no lions any more.

At their resting places the lions often lie in the shade for hours and doze away. Since they take in a lot of food after a successful hunt, it can take a few days before they go hunting again.

What do lions eat?  Their diet includes antelopes , buffaloes and zebras. But they also sometimes  eat  smaller prey like mice, birds and tortoises.

Lion Distribution

Originally, lions inhabited all of Africa and large parts of southwestern Asia. In historical times, lions also lived in the southeast of Europe, especially in Greece. 

Today lions only live south of the Sahara in South and East Africa. They are in smaller populations in other countries in Africa including Angola, Benin and Botswana amongst other countries.

A small population of the subspecies Panthera leo goojratensis lives in the Indian protected area Gir.

Apart from pure deserts and tropical rainforest, a variety of habitats are inhabited. Lions prefer dry bushland and tree and shrub savannahs with proximity to water. In Ethiopia, lions can also be found in the highlands at altitudes of up to 4,000 metres. The Indian representatives live in gallery forests or on the edge of the jungle.

The distribution area of the African lion extends from the southern edge of the Sahara to South Africa with the exception of the Congolese rainforest belt. Of the Asian lions, only a remaining population of 411 individuals lives in Gir National Park in India today.

What is a group of lions called? A group of majority female lions is called a pride, and a group of majority male lions is called a coalition. The pride contains female lions and their young offspring, and usually has fewer than 20members.

Endangerment of Lions

Once they were the rulers of the savannahs, but now the situation is dramatic: in West Africa there are only about 500 lions left, on the whole continent probably only 20,000. The impressive cats of prey threaten to disappear.

The highly symbolic species has disappeared from 94 percent of its original range. Once the animals roamed almost the entire African continent, which after all has an area of 30.2 million square kilometres. Today, the big cats of prey romp around on less than 1.7 million square kilometres. It is estimated that there are not even 25,000 lions left in Africa, which is why they are classified as endangered by the World Conservation Union.

On the IUCN red lis t, the lion is declared as “vulnerable”.

If you would like to read further about other highly endangered animals, look no further than this blog post.

Since the early 1990s, the number of lions in the wild has halved, according to the non-profit organization Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN).

Best Places to see Lions

Just over a century ago, the lion numbers in the wild where much higher than today. From around 200,000 lions living in Africa, only around 20,000 – 30,000 lions still exist nowadays. It is a shame that the United States of America might be the country with the most living Lions on this planet, in captivity. 

Lions are actually exist in 26 different African countries. Some scientists expect the number to be around 15,000 wild lions. 

However, there are still some places where you have a pretty good chance of seeing a lion in the wild. We show you some of the best places to see lions here. 

#1 Serengeti National Park, Tanzania 

The Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s oldest park & world famous for the annual natural spectacle of animal migration.

Tanzania is the country with the highest estimated number of Lions living in the wild. Therefore, its is very likely for you to see a lion pride on your tour to the national park. 

The lions prefer to hunt at dawn and dusk, but they can also prey during the day. Lions especially like to lie and wait at watering places.

Best Travel Time

• Dry Season from late June to October
• Good wildlife sighting throughout the year

Best Tour Operators: 

• Safari Soles Tours
• Meru Slopes Tours & Safari 
• Safari Partners

#2 Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya 

The Masai Mara National Reserve is a nature reserve in Kenya, which is known for the great Wildebeest migration. It is part of the Serengeti and adjoins the Serengeti National Park to the north and has an area of about 1510 square kilometres. 

Masai Mara is Kenya’s most abundant reserve, both in terms of the number of species and of individual animals.

The large movements of Zebra and Wildebeest herds also mean that there is a lot of food for hungry predators like lions. Therefore, the chance to see lions in the Masai Mara are quite high. 

• All year round excellent wildlife viewing.
• July to October offers some spectacular sightings because of the Wildebeest migration. 
• Perfect Wilderness Tours & Safaris
• Day2Day Safari 
• Gracepatt Safaris

#3 Okavango Delta, Botswana

The Okavango Delta is famous for its nature and wildlife sightings.

The gateway to the world-famous Okavango Delta is the small town of Maun. The Okavango River meets the Kalahari – coming from the highlands of Angola. Definitely one of the Best Places to See Lions

About 1/3 of the Okavango Delta is protected, e.g. by the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, which is the oldest nature reserve in Botswana. A great area to see lions in the wild.

Best Travel Time:

• For safaris, the months May to October are considered the best time to travel in Botswana.
• These months fall into the dry season.
• Kalahari Breeze Safaris
• Wild Escape
• Xaa Safaris

#4 Kruger National Park, South Africa 

The famous Kruger National Park covers a total area of almost 20,000 square kilometres. 

Since 1927 the park has been open to visitors. Even then, Krüger’s vision was to protect wildlife from poachers. In this way, the basis for today’s biodiversity was created.

Today, an estimated 1600 Lions roam the wide plains of the Kruger. You can find the big cat in all parts of Kruger Park. 

It likes to stay near waterholes, because the wild animals come there to drink. Most wild animals recognize the danger, but the thirst is greater than the fear. So it often happens that weakened animals fall victim to the big cats!

• Spring (September, October, November) and autumn (March, April, May) 
• Not rainy seasons; pleasantly warm and it does not get too cold at night, making these months the best time to visit Kruger National Park
• Nshongo Safaris
• Amazing Safaris
• Safaria  

#5 Ishasha Sector – Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

A very different type of lion encounter awaits you at the Ishasha Sector in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

An unusual attraction of the national park are the lions of Ishasha in the southern part of the protected area, which climb trees. The region lies off the main routes and is therefore less frequently visited.

In the case of the tree lions, researchers suspect that on the one hand they enjoy the cool wind in the treetops, on the other hand they want to escape from the tsetse flies and other annoying insects on the ground and, in addition, high up they can get a better overview of their surroundings and potential prey. The food is still eaten on the ground. Another Best Places to See Lions

• The dry months from June to August and December to February are considered the best time to visit Uganda
• Especially for wildlife viewing in all national parks
• Wildlife Frontiers
• Mission Africa Safaris
• Adventure Uganda

#6 Gir National Park, India 

The Sasan Gir National Park is the only region outside of Africa where wild lions can still be found. In the peripheral areas around the fully protected national park, various groups of the Adivasis (“indigenous people”) also live and work in harmony with nature.

The most famous inhabitants of Sasan Gir are without doubt the more than 400 free-ranging lions! 

Unlike tigers , they can be observed very well in a pack when relaxing in the high grass. 

Visitors can explore the park themselves with a rented jeep. However, it is recommended to take a professional nature guide with you. 

Not only for your own safety, but also to increase the chances of seeing wild animals. There are a total of eight different routes through the protected area with a total length of 226 km, which are open for tourism. 

Along the different routes you can stop at observation towers to observe the wilderness all around and enjoy the fantastic panorama.

• The best time to visit Sasan Gir National Park is between the end of November and the end of January.
• This is the time when temperatures are at their lowest, the sky is clear and there is little or no rainfall. The chances of spotting a pack of lions or even many of the other park inhabitants are especially good during these months.
• Gir National Park Jeep
• Gir Private Booking Permits

Blood Lions

South Africa is not only a popular holiday destination for animal and nature lovers. Also many hunters of big game are attracted to the southern tip of the African continent every year.

Especially lions are a popular souvenir. 6,000 to 8,000 lions currently live on about 250 farms in South Africa. 

In the last seven years the number of lions in captivity has doubled. Around 1,000 of the big cats are shot by hunting tourists every year – a lucrative business. 

A recent movie called “Blood Lions” dealt with this cruel industrie. 

Not only the hunting of the breeding lions is to be rejected as deeply unethical from an animal welfare point of view. For the lions on South African breeding farms, the ordeal begins shortly after birth. 

Often just three days after birth, the lion babies are separated from their mothers. Apart from the mental suffering of the animals, this practice has fatal consequences: The lack of breast milk often leads to deficiency symptoms. 

The young animals suffer from breathing and digestion problems, thyroid problems, calcium deficiency and many other diseases that put a great strain on them as adult animals.

Also the keeping conditions for the young animals are often completely unacceptable: water, food or shade are in many enclosures in short supply. In the worst case, female juveniles are killed shortly after birth because they are less in demand for hunting.

The male lion cubs are misused as tourist magnets. By hand-raising they are specifically imprinted on humans. Everywhere in South Africa there are offers to stroke baby lions, take pictures or go for a walk with adolescent lions.

For the motherless baby lions this is pure stress: the young animals have an enormous need for rest, the constant contact with people and the bad posture lead to massive behavioural disorders. 

Their physical development is also severely impaired. In addition, people are repeatedly attacked and injured by young lions.

Summary on The Best Places to See Lions

There are many beautiful places in the world where you can see lions in the wild. Most people only think of the african continent when deciding where to go for lion safari.

India, however has some magnificant sightings of lions in the wild. Just be aware that a Zoo or Park promoting lion pet pictures may be a crucial exploitation practice for these animals.

Thanks for reading Best Places to See Lions! To read about interesting comparisons between Lion and Jaguar, check out this article !

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Lion in Tanzania

Sunday 30th of January 2022

Tanzania has the highest population of lions than any other country in Africa. There is an estimate of 14,000-15,000 lions in Tanzania. The Serengeti is home to one of the largest lion populations in Tanzania with about 3,000 lions.

The Truth About Lions

The world’s foremost lion expert reveals the brutal, secret world of the king of beasts

Abigail Tucker

Craig Packer was behind the wheel when we came across the massive cat slumped in the shade beneath a spiny tree. It was a dark-maned male, elaborately sprawled, as if it had fallen from a great height. Its sides heaved with shallow pants. Packer, a University of Minnesota ecologist and the world’s leading lion expert, spun the wheel of the Land Rover and drove straight toward the animal. He pointed out the lion’s scraped elbow and a nasty puncture wound on its side. Its mane was full of leaves. From a distance it looked like a deposed lord, grand and pitiable.

Since arriving in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park only that morning, I’d gaped at wildebeests on parade, dawdling baboons, gazelles rocketing by, oxpecker birds hitching rides atop Cape buffaloes, hippos with bubblegum-colored underbellies. The Serengeti usually dazzles first-time visitors, Packer had warned, making us giddy with an abundance of idyllic wildlife straight out of a Disney song-and-dance number.

The sublime brute only 15 feet away was my first wild Panthera leo . Male African lions can be ten feet long and weigh 400 pounds or more, and this one appeared to be pushing the limits of its species. I was glad to be inside a truck.

Packer, though, opened the door and hopped out. He snatched a stone and tossed it in the big male’s direction.

The lion raised its head. Its handsome face was raked with claw marks.

Packer threw another stone. Unimpressed, the lion briefly turned its back, showing hindquarters as smooth as cast bronze. The beast yawned and, nestling its tremendous head on its paws, shifted its gaze to us for the first time. Its eyes were yellow and cold like new doubloons.

This was one of The Killers.

Packer, 59, is tall, skinny and sharply angular, like a Serengeti thorn tree. He has spent a good chunk of his life at the park’s Lion House, a concrete, fortress-like structure that includes an office, kitchen and three bedrooms. It is furnished with a faux leopard-skin couch and supplied only sporadically with electricity (the researchers turn it off during the day to save energy) and fresh water (elephants dug up the pipelines years ago). Packer has been running the Serengeti Lion Project for 31 of its 43 years. It is the most extensive carnivore study ever conducted.

He has persisted through cholera outbreaks, bouts of malaria and a 1994 canine distemper epidemic that killed off a third of the 300 lions he’d been following. He has collected lion blood, milk, feces and semen. He has honed his distressed wildebeest calf call to get his subjects’ attention. He has learned to lob a defrosted ox heart full of medicine toward a hungry lion for a study of intestinal parasites. And he has braved the boredom of studying a creature that slumbers roughly 20 hours a day and has a face as inscrutable as a sphinx’s.

Packer’s reward has been an epic kind of science, a detailed chronicle of the lives and doings of generations of prides: the Plains Pride, the Lost Girls 2, the Transect Truants. Over the decades there have been plagues, births, invasions, feuds and dynasties. When the lions went to war, as they are inclined to do, he was their Homer.

“The scale of the lion study and Craig Packer’s vigor as a scientist are pretty unparalleled,” says Laurence Frank, of the University of California at Berkeley, who studies African lions and hyenas.

One of Packer’s more sensational experiments took aim at a longstanding mystery. A male lion is the only cat with a mane; some scientists believed its function was to protect an animal’s neck during fights. But because lions are the only social felines, Packer thought manes were more likely a message or a status symbol. He asked a Dutch toy company to craft four plush, life-size lions with light and dark manes of different lengths. He named them Lothario, Fabio, Romeo and Julio (as in Iglesias—this was the late 1990s). He attracted lions to the dolls using calls of scavenging hyenas. When they encountered the dummies, female lions almost invariably attempted to seduce the dark-maned ones, while males avoided them, preferring to attack the blonds, particularly those with shorter manes. (Stuffing still protrudes from the haunches of Fabio, a focal point of Lion House décor.)

Consulting their field data, Packer and his colleagues noticed that many males with short manes had suffered from injury or sickness. By contrast, dark-maned males tended to be older than the others, have higher testosterone levels, heal well after wounding and sire more surviving cubs—all of which made them more desirable mates and formidable foes. A mane, it seems, signals vital information about a male’s fighting ability and health to mates and rivals. Newspapers across the globe picked up the finding. “Manely, lady lions look for dark color,” one headline said. “Blonds have less fun in the lion world,” read another.

Lately, Packer’s research has taken on a new dimension. Long a dispassionate student of lion behavior and biology, he has become a champion for the species’ survival. In Tanzania, home to as many as half of all the wild lions on earth, the population is in free fall, having dropped by half since the mid-1990s, to fewer than 10,000. Across Africa, up to one-quarter of the world’s wild lions have vanished in little more than a decade.

The reason for the decline of the king of beasts can be summed up in one word: people. As more Tanzanians take up farming and ranching, they push farther into lion country. Now and then a lion kills a person or livestock; villagers—who once shot only nuisance lions—have started using poisons to wipe out whole prides. It is not a new problem, this interspecies competition for an increasingly scarce resource, but neither is it a simple one. Among other things, Packer and his students are studying how Tanzanians can change their animal husbandry and farming practices to ward off ravenous felines.

Scientists used to believe that prides—groups of a few to more than a dozen related females typically guarded by two or more males—were organized for hunting. Other aspects of the communal lifestyle—the animals’ affinity for napping in giant piles and even nursing each others’ young—were idealized as poignant examples of animal-kingdom altruism. But Packer and his collaborators have found that a pride isn’t formed primarily for catching dinner or sharing parenting chores or cuddling. The lions’ natural world—their behavior, their complex communities, their evolution—is shaped by one brutal, overarching force, what Packer calls “the dreadful enemy.”

Other lions.

The Jua Kali pride lives far out on the Serengeti plains, where the land is the dull color of burlap, and termite mounds rise like small volcanoes. It’s marginal habitat at best, without much shade or cover of any kind. ( Jua kali is Swahili for “fierce sun.”) Water holes look more like wallows, prey is scarce and, especially in the dry season, life is not easy for the pride’s four females and two resident males, Hildur and C-Boy.

Early one morning last August, Serengeti Lion Project researchers found Hildur, a Herculean male with a blond mane, limping around near a grassy ditch. He was sticking close to one of the pride’s four females, whose newborn cubs were hidden in a nearby stand of reeds. He was roaring softly, possibly in an effort to contact his darker-maned co-leader. But C-Boy, the researchers saw, had been cornered on the crest of a nearby hill by a fearsome trio of snarling males whom Packer and colleagues call The Killers.

The whole scene looked like a “takeover,” a brief, devastating clash in which a coalition of males tries to seize control of a pride. Resident males may be mortally wounded in the fighting. If the invaders are victorious, they kill all the young cubs to bring the pride’s females into heat again. Females sometimes die fighting to defend their cubs.

The researchers suspected that The Killers, who normally live near a river 12 miles away, had already dispatched two females from a different pride—thus The Killers earned their names.

C-Boy, surrounded, gave a strangled growl. The Killers fell on him, first two, then all three, slashing and biting as he swerved, their blows falling on his vulnerable hindquarters. The violence lasted less than a minute, but C-Boy’s flanks looked as if they’d been flayed with whips. Apparently satisfied their opponent was crippled, The Killers turned and trotted off toward the marsh, almost in lock step, as Hildur’s female companion crept toward a stand of reeds.

None of the Jua Kali lions had been spotted since the fight, but we kept riding out to their territory to look for them. We didn’t know if C-Boy had survived or if the cubs had made it. Finally, one afternoon we found JKM, the mother of the Jua Kali litter, lolling atop a termite mound as large and intricate as a pipe organ.

“Hey there, sweetness,” Packer said to her as we pulled up. “Where are your cubs?”

JKM had her eye on a kongoni antelope a few miles away; unfortunately, it was watching her, too. She was also scanning the sky for vultures, perhaps in the hopes of scavenging a hyena kill. She stood up and ambled off into the hip-high grass. We could see dark circles around her nipples: she was still lactating. Against the odds, her cubs seemed to have survived.

Perhaps the apparent good fortune of the Jua Kali cubs was linked to another recent sighting, Packer speculated: a female from another nearby group, the Mukoma Hill pride, had been seen moving her own tiny bobble-headed cubs. The cubs were panting and mewling pitifully, clearly in distress; normally cubs stay in their den during the heat of the day. The Killers might have forsaken the Jua Kali females to take over the Mukoma Hill pride, which inhabits richer territory near river confluences to the north. The woodlands there, said Packer, were controlled by a series of “dinky little pairs of males”: elderly Fellow and Jell-O; Porkie and Pie; and Wallace, the Mukoma Hill leader, whose partner, William, had recently died.

Packer recalled a similar pattern of invasion in the early 1980s by the Seven Samurai, a coalition of males, several with spectacular black manes, who had once brought down two adult, 1,000-pound Cape buffaloes and a calf in a single day. After storming the north they’d sired hundreds of cubs and ruled the savanna for a dozen years.

It took a while for Packer to tune into such dramas. When he first visited the Serengeti lions in 1974, he concluded that “lions were really boring.” The laziest of all the cats, they were usually collapsed in a stupor, as if they had just run a marathon, when in reality they hadn’t moved a muscle in 12 hours. Packer had been working under Jane Goodall in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, observing baboons. He slept in a metal structure called The Cage to be closer to the animals. In 1978, when Packer’s plan to study Japanese monkeys fell through, he and a fellow primatologist, Anne Pusey, to whom he was married at the time, volunteered to take over the Lion Project, begun 12 years earlier by the American naturalist George Schaller.

By the time Packer and Pusey installed themselves in the Lion House, scientists were well aware that lions are ambush predators with little stamina and that they gorge at a kill, each one downing up to 70 pounds in a sitting. (Lions eat, in addition to antelope and wildebeest, crocodiles, pythons, fur seals, baboons, hippopotamuses, porcupines and ostrich eggs.) Lion territories are quite large—15 square miles on the low end, ranging up to nearly 400—and are passed down through generations of females. Lions are vigorous when it comes to reproduction; Schaller observed one male mate 157 times in 55 hours.

Packer and Pusey set out not just to document lion behavior but to explain how it had evolved. “What we wanted to do was figure out why they did some of these things,” Packer says. “Why did they raise their cubs together? Did they really hunt cooperatively?”

They kept tabs on two dozen prides in minute detail, photographing each animal and naming new cubs. They noted where the lions congregated, who was eating how much of what, who had mated, who was wounded, who survived and who died. They described interactions at kills. It was slow going, even after they put radio collars on several lions in 1984. Packer was always more troubled by the lions’ sloth than their slavering jaws. Following prides at night—the animals are largely nocturnal—he sometimes thought he would go mad. “I read Tolstoy, I read Proust,” he says. “All the Russians.” Packer and Pusey wrote in one article that “to the list of inert noble gases, including krypton, argon and neon, we would add lion.”

Still, they began to see how prides functioned. Members of a large pride didn’t get any more to eat than a lone hunter, mostly because a solitary animal got the proverbial lion’s share. Yet lions band together without fail to confront and sometimes kill intruders. Larger groups thus monopolize the premier savanna real estate—usually around the confluence of rivers, where prey animals come to drink—while smaller prides are pushed to the margins.

Even the crèche, or communal nursery that is the social core of every pride, is shaped by violence, Packer says. He and Pusey realized this after scrutinizing groups of nursing mothers for countless hours. A lactating female nursed another’s young rarely, usually after an unrelated cub sneaked onto her nipple. An alert lioness reserves her milk for her own offspring. In contrast to the widespread belief that crèches were maternal utopias, Packer and Pusey found that nursing mothers stick together chiefly for defense. During takeovers by outside males, solitary females lost litter after litter, while cooperating lionesses stood a better chance of protecting their cubs and fending off males, which can outweigh females by as much as 50 percent.

Surviving cubs go on to perpetuate the bloody cycle. Juvenile females often join forces with their mother’s pride to defend the home turf. Males reared together typically form a coalition around age 2 or 3 and set out to conquer prides of their own. (Hard-living males rarely live past age 12; females can reach their late teens.) A lone male without a brother or cousin will often team up with another singleton; if he doesn’t, he is doomed to an isolated life. A group of lions will count its neighbors’ roars at night to estimate their numbers and determine if the time is right for an attack. The central insight of Packer’s career is this: lions evolved to dominate the savanna, not to share it.

As we crossed the plains one morning, the Land Rover—broken speedometer, no seat belts, cracked side mirrors, a fire extinguisher and a roll of toilet paper on the dashboard—creaked like an aged vessel in high seas. We plowed through oceans of grasses, mostly brown but also mint green, salmon pink and, in the distance, lavender; the lions we hunted were a liquid flicker, a current within a current. The landscape on this day did not look inviting. Sections of the giant sky were shaded with rain. Zebra jaws and picked-clean impala skulls littered the ground. Bones don’t last long here, though; hyenas eat them.

Packer and a research assistant, Ingela Jansson, were listening through headphones for the ping-ping-ping radio signal of collared lions. Jansson, driving, spotted a pride on the other side of a dry gully: six or seven lions sitting slack-jawed in the shade. Neither she nor Packer recognized them. Jansson had a feeling they might be a new group. “They may never have seen a car before,” she whispered.

The sides of the ditch looked unpromising, but Packer and Jansson couldn’t resist. Jansson found what seemed to be a decent crossing spot, by Serengeti standards, and angled the truck down. We roared across the bed and began churning up the other side. Packer, who is originally from Texas, let out a whoop of triumph just before we lurched to a halt and began to slide helplessly backward.

We came to rest at the bottom, snarled in reeds, with only three wheels on the ground, wedged between the riverbanks as tightly as a filling in a dental cavity. The ditch was 15 feet deep, so we could no longer see the pride, but as we’d slipped downward, a row of black-tipped ears had cocked inquisitively in our direction.

Jansson stepped out of the truck, long blond ponytail whipping around, dug at the wheels with a shovel and spade, and then hacked down reeds with a panga, or straight-blade machete. Earlier I had asked what kind of anti-lion gear the researchers carried. “An umbrella,” Jansson said. Apparently, lions don’t like umbrellas, particularly if they’re painted with large pairs of eyes.

Packer is not afraid of lions, especially Serengeti lions, which he says have few encounters with people or livestock and have plenty of other things to eat. To figure out if a sedated lion is truly down for the count, he’ll get out of the truck to tickle its ear. He says he once ditched a mired Land Rover within ten feet of a big pride and marched in the opposite direction, his 3-year-old daughter on his shoulders, singing nursery school songs all the way back to the Lion House. (His daughter, Catherine, 25, is a student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Packer never tried such a stunt with son Jonathan, now 22, although Jonathan was once bitten by a baboon. Packer and Pusey divorced in 1997; she returned to studying chimpanzees.)

Not being handy with a panga, I was sent a short distance down the riverbed to gather stones to wedge under the wheels. Packer’s nonchalance was not contagious. I could not decide whether I should creep or sprint. Every time I glanced at the grassy riverbanks above I was sure that I would find myself the object of some blond monster’s greedy regard. As I bent to claw stones out of the ground, I knew suddenly, with complete, visceral certainty, why Tanzanian villagers might rather be rid of these animals.

I’d already taken stock of their carving-knife incisors and Cleopatra eyes, observed their low, rolling, hoodlum swaggers, heard their idling growls and nocturnal bellows. If you live in a mud hut protected by a bramble fence, if your cows are your bank account and your 7-year-old son is a shepherd who sleeps in the paddock with his goats, wouldn’t you want to eliminate every last lion on earth?

“People hate lions,” Packer had told me. “The people who live with them, anyway.”

After more than an hour of reed-whacking, stone-wedging and wrestling with mud ladders placed under the tires to provide traction, the vehicle finally surged onto the far side of the ditch. Incredibly, the lions remained precisely where we’d seen them last: sitting with Zen-like equanimity on their little doily of shade.

Jansson looked through binoculars, taking note of their whisker patterns and a discolored iris here and a missing tooth there. She determined this was the seldom-seen Turner Springs pride. Some of the sun-dazed lions had bloodstains on their milky chins. Though they hadn’t displayed the slightest interest in us, I uttered a silent prayer to go home.

“Let’s go closer,” Packer said.

The first true lion probably padded over the earth about 600,000 years ago, and its descendants eventually ruled a greater range than any other wild land mammal. They penetrated all of Africa, except for the deepest rain forests of the Congo Basin and driest parts of the Sahara, and every continent save Australia and Antarctica. There were lions in Great Britain, Russia and Peru; they were plentiful in Alaska and the habitat known today as downtown Los Angeles.

In the Grotte Chauvet, the cave in France whose 32,000-year-old paintings are considered among the oldest art in the world, there are more than 70 renderings of lions. Sketched in charcoal and ocher, these European cave lions—maneless and, according to fossil evidence, 25 percent bigger than African lions—prance alongside other now-extinct creatures: mammoths, Irish elk, woolly rhino. Some lions, drawn in the deepest part of the cave, are oddly colored and abstract, with hooves instead of paws; archaeologists believe these may be shamans.

The French government invited Packer to tour the cave in 1999. “It was one of the most profound experiences of my life,” Packer says. But the dream-like quality of the images wasn’t what excited him; it was their zoological accuracy. By the light of a miner’s lamp, he discerned pairs, lions moving in large groups and even submissive behavior, depicted down to the tilt of the subordinate’s ears. The artist, Packer says, “doesn’t exaggerate their teeth, he doesn’t make them seem more formidable than I would. This was somebody who was viewing them in a very cool and detached way. This was somebody who was studying lions.”

The lions’ decline began about 12,000 years ago. Prehistoric human beings, with their improving hunting technologies, probably competed with lions for prey, and lion subspecies in Europe and the Americas went extinct. Other subspecies were common in India and Africa until the 1800s, when European colonists began killing lions on safaris and clearing the land. In 1920, a hunter shot the last known member of the North African subspecies in Morocco. Today, the only wild lions outside Africa belong to a small group of fewer than 400 Asiatic lions in the Gir Forest of India.

Lions persist in a handful of countries across southeastern Africa, including Botswana, South Africa and Kenya, but Tanzania’s population is by far the largest. Though devastatingly poor, the nation is a reasonably stable democracy with huge tracts of protected land.

Serengeti National Park—at 5,700 square miles, about the size of Connecticut—is perhaps the world’s greatest lion sanctuary, with some 3,000 lions. In Packer’s study area, comprising the territories of 23 prides near the park’s center, the number of lions is stable or even rising. But the Serengeti is the exception.

Part of the blame for Tanzania’s crashing lion population belongs to the trophy-hunting industry: the government allows the harvest of some 240 wild lions a year from game reserves and other unprotected areas, the highest take in Africa. Safaris charge a trophy fee of as little as $6,000 for a lion; animals are shot while feasting on baits, and many of the coveted “trophy males” have peach fuzz manes and haven’t even left their mother’s pride yet. The use of lion parts in folk medicines is another concern; as wild tigers disappear from Asia, scientists have noticed increasing demand for leonine substitutes.

The central issue, though, is the growing human population. Tanzania has three times as many residents now—some 42 million—as when Packer began working there. The country has lost more than 37 percent of its woodlands since 1990. Disease has spread from village animals to the lions’ prey animals, and, in the case of the 1994 distemper outbreak that started in domestic dogs, to the lions themselves. The lions’ prey animals are also popular in the burgeoning—and illicit—market for bush meat.

And then there is the understandable ill will that people bear lions, which loiter on front porches, bust through thatched roofs, snatch cattle, rip children from their mother’s arms, haul the elderly out of bed and seize women on the way to latrines. In the 1990s, as Tanzanians plowed large swaths of lion territory into fields, lion attacks on people and livestock rose dramatically.

Bernard Kissui, a Tanzanian lion scientist with the African Wildlife Foundation and one of Packer’s former graduate students, met Packer and me in Manyara, a bustling district southeast of Serengeti National Park. Kissui said five lions nearby had recently died after eating a giraffe carcass laced with tick poison.

“Is that one of your study prides?” Packer asked.

“I’m suspecting so,” said Kissui, who works in the nearby Tangire National Park. He wasn’t sure who had poisoned the lions or what had provoked the killings. A month earlier, lions had killed three boys, ages 4, 10 and 14, herding livestock, but that was in a village 40 miles away.

“Africa is not Africa without lions,” Kissui told me, but “human needs precede the wildlife’s. As the number of people increases, we take the land that would have been available to the wildlife and use it for ourselves. Africa has one billion people now. Think about what that one billion implies in terms of the future of lions. We are heading into a very complicated world.”

Young men from pastoral tribes no longer care to tend cattle, Kissui says. “They want to go to Arusha and drive a car.” So their little brothers are sent into the bush instead. Packer and his students have shown that lions tend to target livestock tended by boys during the dry season.

Packer, Kissui and other scientists are experimenting with ways to keep people and lions safe. Special funds repay herders for lost livestock—if no lion is harmed. They have suggested that corn farmers in southern Tanzania hang chili peppers in their fields, which repel the bush pigs that lions relish, or dig ditches around their crops to keep the pigs out. And Packer is assisting Kissui with a program that subsidizes herdsmen who want to replace their bramble-enclosed paddocks with fences of metal and wood.

In Manyara we visited Sairey LoBoye, a study participant. He was attired in stunning blue blankets and talking on his cellphone. LoBoye is a member of the Maasai tribe, whose traditional culture centers on safeguarding cattle: teenagers spear lions as a rite of passage. LoBoye said he simply wanted lions to leave him alone. Two years ago lions devoured one of his precious bulls, but since installing a modern fence, he hasn’t had any problems and his cattle and children are safer. “Now I can sleep at night,” he said.

Packer argues that the Serengeti, like some South African parks, should be surrounded by an electric, elephant-proof, heavily patrolled fence that would encompass the whole wildebeest migration route and keep the lions in and the poachers out. The idea has little support, in part because of the tens of millions of dollars it would cost to erect the barrier.

Packer and Susan James, a former business executive he married in 1999, founded a nonprofit organization, Savannas Forever, which is based in Arusha and monitors the quality of rural village life. They’ve hired Tanzanians to measure how development aid affects such variables as children’s height and weight; they’ll spread the word about which approaches are most effective so other programs can replicate them. The hope is that improving the standard of living will bolster local conservation efforts and give lions a better shot at survival.

As hard as it is for Packer to imagine the prides he has followed for so long ending in oblivion in the next few decades, he says that’s the most likely outcome: “Why am I doing this? I feel like I owe this country something. So 100 years from now there will still be lions in Tanzania.”

Before I left the Serengeti, Packer took me to see a fig tree that had served for decades as a lion scratching post. As we drove across the savanna, graduate student Alexandra Swanson fiddled with a radio scanner, searching for signals from radio-collared lions, but we heard only static.

The tree was on a kopje, one of the isolated piles of rocks in the grasslands that are popular lion haunts. Packer wanted to climb up for a better look. Lulled, perhaps, by the silence on the scanner, I agreed to accompany him.

We’d climbed most of the way up the pile when Packer snapped his fingers and motioned for me to crouch down. The world seemed to zoom in and out, as if I was looking through a camera’s telephoto lens, and I imagined hot lion breath on my neck.

Packer, at the top of the kopje, was waving me closer.

“Do you see that lion?” he whispered. “No,” I whispered back.

He pointed at a shadowy crevice beneath the fig tree, about 20 feet away. “You don’t see that lion?”

“There is no lion,” I said, as if my words could make it so.

Then I saw one tiny, yellow, heart-shaped face, and then another, bright as dandelions against the gray rocks. Golden eyes blinked at us.

Mothers often leave their cubs for long stretches to hunt, but this was only the second time in Packer’s long career he’d found an unattended den. Young cubs are almost completely helpless and can starve or be eaten by hyenas if left alone too long. One of the cubs was clearly horrified by our presence and shrank behind its braver sibling, which arranged itself in a princely fashion on the rocks to enjoy these strange, spindly, cringing creatures. The other cub seemed to forget its fear and bit the bold one’s ear. They were perfect fleecy things. Their coats had a faint tiled pattern that would fade away with time.

That night we camped beside the kopje, Swanson and I in the bed of the Land Rover and Packer in a flimsy tent. It wasn’t the most restful evening of my life: in the lion’s last great stronghold, we were outside a mother’s very den.

I kept thinking of the cubs in the crevice. Their mother might return while we slept. I almost hoped she would.

Abigail Tucker , Smithsonian ’s staff writer, has covered narwhals, salmon and the link between birds and horseshoe crabs.

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Abigail Tucker | READ MORE

A frequent contributor to Smithsonian , Abigail Tucker is the author of The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World and Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct . More information is available at her website: abigailtucker.com

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Top Safari Destinations to Spot Lions

Into the wild: exploring africa’s top safari destinations to spot lions.

Are you ready for an exhilarating adventure into the wild? Africa lions safari destinations are calling, offering you the opportunity to witness the majestic lions in their natural habitat. From the vast plains of the Serengeti to the rugged landscapes of Kruger National Park, these extraordinary locations promise an unforgettable experience. Picture yourself in an open-top jeep, the wind in your hair as you venture deep into the heart of the African wilderness. As you embark on this once-in-a-lifetime journey, you will not only witness the raw power and grace of the lions but also encounter a diverse array of wildlife, from elephants and giraffes to zebras and wildebeests. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Africa, as you listen to the roar of the lions echoing through the savannah and witness their regal presence up close. Join us as we explore Africa’s top safari destinations, where lion sightings are not just a possibility, but a thrilling reality. Get ready to experience the untamed beauty of the African wilderness like never before.

The allure of spotting lions in the wild

There’s something undeniably captivating about seeing lions in their natural habitat. These majestic creatures, with their golden mane and powerful presence, have long held a special place in our collective imagination. The thrill of witnessing a lion in the wild is unlike anything else. It’s a chance to see these iconic animals up close, to observe their behavior in their natural environment, and to gain a deeper understanding of their place in the circle of life.

For many, spotting lions in the wild is a bucket-list experience. It’s an opportunity to connect with nature in a profound way, to witness the beauty and power of the animal kingdom, and to feel a sense of awe and wonder that can only be found in the untamed wilderness of Africa.

But it’s not just about the thrill of the chase. By embarking on a safari to see lions, you’re also supporting conservation efforts and sustainable tourism. Many safari operators and national parks work tirelessly to protect these endangered species and their habitats. By visiting these destinations, you’re helping to ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to witness the beauty of lions in the wild.

Top safari destinations in Africa

Africa is blessed with an abundance of incredible safari destinations, each offering a unique and unforgettable experience. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-time safari-goer, there’s a destination that will suit your preferences and allow you to witness the awe-inspiring sight of lions in their natural habitat. Let’s explore some of the top safari destinations in Africa where lion sightings are practically guaranteed.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Located in northern Tanzania, the Serengeti National Park is arguably one of the best places in the world for lion sightings. Home to the iconic Great Migration, where millions of wildebeests and zebras trek across the plains in search of fresh grazing, the Serengeti provides an unparalleled opportunity to witness the incredible interactions between lions and their prey. The vast savannahs of the Serengeti are also home to a large population of lions, making it an ideal destination for wildlife enthusiasts.

Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Just across the border from the Serengeti lies the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This reserve is famous for its high concentration of lions, particularly during the annual wildebeest migration. As the wildebeests cross the Mara River, they become easy targets for the resident lion prides, providing a thrilling spectacle for visitors. The Maasai Mara is also home to the Maasai people, who have coexisted with wildlife for centuries and offer a unique cultural experience alongside your safari.

Kruger National Park, South Africa

In the northeastern corner of South Africa, you’ll find Kruger National Park. Spanning an impressive 2 million hectares, this iconic park is home to an abundance of wildlife, including a healthy population of lions. With its diverse landscapes, ranging from open plains to dense bushveld, Kruger offers a range of safari experiences. Whether you choose to go on a self-drive adventure or join a guided tour, you’re sure to have plenty of opportunities to spot lions in their natural habitat.

Okavango Delta, Botswana

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a true oasis in the heart of the Kalahari Desert. This unique ecosystem is formed by the annual flooding of the Okavango River, creating a lush haven for wildlife. Lions are a common sight in the delta, and exploring the region by mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) or on foot allows you to get up close and personal with these incredible creatures. The Okavango Delta is also home to a wide variety of other wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, and hippos, making it a must-visit destination for any safari enthusiast.

Etosha National Park, Namibia

Namibia’s Etosha National Park is a haven for wildlife, with its vast salt pans and waterholes attracting a wide range of animals. Lions are often seen near the waterholes, where they gather to quench their thirst and wait for unsuspecting prey to come by. The park’s unique landscape and abundance of wildlife make it a photographer’s dream, offering countless opportunities to capture the beauty of lions in their natural habitat.

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Nestled in the highlands of northern Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa’s most iconic safari destinations. This ancient volcanic crater is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including a large population of lions. The crater’s enclosed nature means that the animals are relatively easy to spot, making it an ideal destination for those looking for guaranteed lion sightings. With its breathtaking views and abundant wildlife, a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Best time to visit for lion sightings

Planning the timing of your safari is crucial when it comes to increasing your chances of spotting lions. While lion sightings are possible throughout the year, there are certain months that offer better opportunities. The dry season, typically from June to October, is considered the best time to visit many safari destinations for lion sightings. During this time, the vegetation is less dense, making it easier to spot these elusive creatures. Additionally, the scarcity of water forces animals to congregate around water sources, increasing your chances of witnessing predator-prey interactions.

It’s worth noting that the Great Migration in the Serengeti and Maasai Mara also plays a role in determining the best time to visit for lion sightings. The migration typically takes place between July and October, attracting large numbers of lions to the area. If witnessing the migration and lion interactions is high on your priority list, planning your safari during this period is highly recommended.

Tips for spotting lions on safari

Spotting lions in the wild requires patience, a keen eye, and a bit of luck. Here are some tips to maximize your chances of a lion sighting on safari:

1. Go on game drives during the early morning or late afternoon : Lions are most active during these times, increasing your chances of seeing them in action.

2. Listen for roars : Lions communicate through powerful roars that can be heard from miles away. Pay attention to the sounds of the African wilderness, as they can lead you to a lion sighting.

3. Watch for signs of activity : Look for vultures circling in the sky or other animals behaving unusually, as these can be indicators of a recent kill and the presence of lions nearby.

4. Observe from a distance : It’s important to respect the animals’ space and observe from a safe distance. Use binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens to get a closer look without disturbing the animals.

5. Be patient : Safaris are not a guaranteed lion-spotting experience. It may take time and several game drives before you have a lion sighting. Enjoy the journey and embrace the surprises that the African wilderness has to offer.

Responsible tourism and conservation efforts

As you embark on your safari adventure, it’s essential to support responsible tourism and conservation efforts. Many safari operators and national parks are dedicated to protecting the fragile ecosystems and endangered species that call Africa home. By choosing ethical operators and accommodations that prioritize sustainability and conservation, you can ensure that your safari has a positive impact on the environment and local communities.

Additionally, consider supporting local conservation organizations that work tirelessly to protect lions and their habitats. Donating to these organizations or participating in volunteer programs can make a real difference in preserving Africa’s wildlife for future generations.

Embarking on a safari to witness lions in the wild is an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime. The thrill of seeing these majestic creatures in their natural habitat is unparalleled, and the African wilderness provides the perfect backdrop for this awe-inspiring encounter. Whether you choose to explore the vast plains of the Serengeti, the rugged landscapes of Kruger National Park, or any of Africa’s other top safari destinations, you’re sure to be captivated by the raw power and beauty of lions.

But a safari is more than just a chance to spot lions. It’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and rhythms of the African wilderness. It’s a chance to witness the interconnectedness of all living things and gain a deeper appreciation for the delicate balance of nature.

So, are you ready for an adventure into the wild? Are you ready to witness the regal presence of lions up close and personal? Africa’s top safari destinations are waiting for you. Call you Live Well, Travel Often advisor to plan your African lion trip today.

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Where to see lions in Africa (best places for an African lion safari)

The most iconic animal in Africa, the lion is synonymous with the African safari experience. So, where are lions in Africa? If you are planning an African lion safari or dreaming of seeing these African big cats in the wild one day, this post will tell you all you need to know about the best places to see lions in Africa.

Lions used to roam freely across most of Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. As human populations developed and expanded, lions have gradually been confined to smaller and smaller habitats. Today, populations of wild African lions are limited to major African parks where there is enough food for these majestic predators, as well as sufficient land for them to roam. 

The best places to see lions in Africa (in the wild) are in southern and eastern Africa. In particular, the best African lion safari countries include Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. 

While all lions in Africa are the same species ( Pantera Leo) , not all lion safari destinations are equal. While you can see these apex predators in Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, different destinations promise different kinds of African lion safari sightings. Remembering that African lions are wild animals and that sightings are never guaranteed, certain African lion safari destinations have developed reputations for particular kinds of lion sightings.

This guide answers the question, "Where are lions in Africa?" and looks at the best places to see lions in Africa. From tree-climbing and desert lions to the densest African lion populations, the fiercest lions, and the wildest lion safari destinations. Read on to find out everything you need to know about lion safari destinations in Africa.

See Lions in Africa  to get tips for your African lion safari and find out all about these African big cats.

1. Where are lions in Africa the most abundant? - Serengeti and Masai Mara

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is famous for having the highest population density of lions in Africa, making it one of the very best places to see lions in Africa. Lion numbers are dependent on food and space. With the continuous migration of over 2 million wildebeest, zebra, and other antelope, lion numbers are not surprisingly high. In terms of sheer abundance, the setting of the Great Migration  cannot be beaten. Spanning Kenya and Tanzania, the open savannah landscape of the Serengeti-Mara plains is a fantastic spot for an African lion safari. 

“Nowhere else in Africa supports quite such a concentrated abundance of hoofed meat, amid such open landscape, and therefore the Serengeti is a glorious place for lions and an ideal site for lion researchers” 

– David Quammen, National Geographic Magazine

To see lions on safari in Tanzania you should visit the Serengeti National Park. The Seronera region of central Serengeti is famous for lion safari sightings. High season from July to October, has amazing lion sightings as well as some remarkable game viewing. If the drama of the Grumeti and Mara River crossing is on your hit list, you should visit from June to September. If you are not a fan of large crowds then the low season, November to March, will give you a more relaxed atmosphere in which to seek out the roaming lion prides that call the Serengeti home.

• Serengeti Safari Packages

In Kenya, the top African lion safari destination is the Masai Mara National Park. The lions here were made famous by the BBC nature documentary series “The Big Cat Diary”. The Masai Mara high season starts around July when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest begin migrating across the Mara River into the Masai Mara National Reserve from the Serengeti. The wildebeest herds follow the fresh and succulent grasses that come after good rains. Remember that lions do not migrate. Pride lands are set up along the migration routes and the lions merely exploit the movement of these animals. In addition to the lions, the Masai Mara is also famous for cheetah populations that thrive on the wide-open grasslands.

• Masai Mara Safaris

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2. Where are the biggest lions in Africa? - Duba Plains

The biggest lions in Africa are found on the Duba Plains in Botswana. Permanent water and nutritious grasses make the Duba Plains in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta the perfect habitat for buffalo. Lions love buffalo. Almost a ton of meat that kicks and stabs with horns is a worthy prey for the king of the jungle.

The Duba Plains lions have evolved into powerful and unique specimens which is why this is one of the best places to see lions in Africa. They are the only (known) group of lions that seem to enjoy the water. Furthermore, constantly running through shallow water and taking down buffalo is the kind of workout that has resulted in the Duba Plains lions being about 15% larger than other lions. Another unique quirk is that these lions have adapted to hunt during the day, which is perfect for some epic game encounters.

The Duba Plains have pleasant daytime temperatures from March to August, but August is the most popular amongst safari-goers to the Delta. Temperatures are mild and slipping through the canals on a mokoro amongst the throngs of animals is one of the highlights of any safari adventure in Africa.

• Okavango Delta Safaris  

3. Where are lions in Africa the most ferocious? - Savuti Marsh

In the arid Savuti region of Chobe National Park, a mega-pride of 30 lions faced an unprecedented challenge when the Savuti channel dried up. With a decline in water and lush vegetation, the ungulate population dwindled, posing a serious threat to the predators' food supply.

In a remarkable display of adaptability, the mega-pride formed and turned to an unconventional but abundant source: elephants. Forced by the necessity to target these massive creatures, the lions of Savuti became skilled elephant hunters, successfully taking down an estimated 74 elephants over three years. This extraordinary behaviour, which has been passed down through generations, defies traditional notions of lion prey preferences and draws wildlife enthusiasts and filmmakers to the Savuti region, eager to witness and document this unique survival strategy. Today this part of Chobe is still one of the most exciting destinations for an African lion safari.

• Savuti Marsh Tours

4. The best place to see lions in Africa hunting

The best places to see lions in Africa hunt are the banks of the Mara River in the Masai Mara National Reserve of Kenya and at the southern end of the Serengeti, during the calving season. Both locations are saturated with wildebeest at different times of the Great Wildebeest Migration . The wide-open plains are gold for those looking to witness the power of African lions hunting and the drama of a lion kill.

At the Mara River, the most iconic point of the great wildebeest migration, animals queue on mass to cross the perilous, crocodile-infested waters. The lions are waiting in ambush and between July and August is a great time to witness this spectacle.

Wildebeest calving season happens in January and March at the southern end of the Serengeti. The wildebeest gather, near Maswa and Ngorongoro, to have their young before the northward migration begins. Young animals must learn to run within minutes. Lions lie in wait for the comparatively easy pickings.

Difficult to stomach but fascinating to watch, lions in action – doing what lions do – is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not for the faint of heart.

• Masai Mara Safaris  (Kenya)

5. The best places for an African lion safari in Kruger National Park

Southern Africa’s most famous and most iconic national park is a must-visit for an African lion safari. Located in South Africa, the Kruger National Park is not only SA’s premier safari destination but also home to the majority of South Africa’s wild lions. This reserve is roughly (at just under 20,000 km²) the size of Wales. So if it is a lion safari you are after, you need to pay special attention to geography and climate.

Hot and dry in the northern reaches of the park, the lion density is about 6 lions per 100 km². This is because prey is harder to come by. It means that your odds of seeing what you came for are lower. South and central, where there is higher rainfall and therefore more vegetation, supports a greater number of herbivores and the lion population is almost twice that of the north. That means you are twice as likely to meet these majestic beasts. However, south and central Kruger is still pretty broad.

The best place for an African lion safari in the wilds of Kruger National Park is Sabi Sands.

Sabi Sands Game Reserve, part of Greater Kruger National Park, is one of South Africa’s top game viewing destinations. This private reserve has unparalleled game viewing due to abundant water and restricted access. While day visitors are not allowed, and only guided safaris are offered, these guides and safari vehicles have unrestricted movement around the reserve. Sabi Sands is renowned for its Big Five safari experiences, especially sightings of the big cats, lion, and leopard. Of the best places to see lions in Africa, this is one of our top favourites.

• Kruger National Park Safaris
• Sabi Sands Safaris

6. Where are white lions in Africa? - Timbavati

The white lions of timbavati have captured the imaginations of the west since the publication of chris mcbride’s 1977 book,  the white lions of timbavati . sacred to the local tsonga people, “tsimba vati”, directly translated, means the place where the star lions fell to earth. these lions are sacred, mystical, and revered. the result of a genetic mutation called leucism, white lions are extremely rare..

“Timbavati Private Nature remains the only reserve in the world … where wild white lions occur regularly and naturally” William Sonnenberg

Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, north of Sabi Sands and part of the Greater Kruger National Park , is singular in the naturally occurring white lions. Occurring in two forms; white with blue eyes and pink lips, noses, and pads and brown eyes with black lips, noses, and pads. Reserved for only a lucky few, an encounter with these lions is described by many as a spiritual encounter.

In the late ’70s, two of these cubs were moved to Johannesburg Zoo for a breeding program. The resulting offspring are the estimated 400 captive white lions found around the world. 

• Timbavati Safaris

7. Where to see black-maned desert lions? - Kalahari Desert

The best place to see the black-maned lions of the Kalahari is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park spans northern South Africa and Botswana and shares a border with Namibia to the west. The best time to visit the park is between the dry winter months of April and October. With little water available, animals congregate near permanent water sources. Chances of seeing special animals like the black manes lions increase as the bush thins and foliage dies off.  

Black-maned desert lions are masters of the desert environment. More light-weight and slender with longer legs and larger feet, these desert-adapted lions are built for endurance. Their fur is pale gold and males sport a distinctive black mane. While large lion prides are the norm in game-rich wildlife reserves like Kruger and the Serengeti, in arid regions, prides can consist of a single mating pair, up to small prides of six members. The black-maned Kalahari Desert lions are rare and have become an icon of survival. Scientists believe that the black manes may indicate higher levels of testosterone and in turn, these black manes are more attractive to female lions.

8. Where are the man-eating lions in Africa? - Selous and Tsavo

Yes, that’s right—mane-less lions. Scientists are unsure exactly why these males do not have manes. It’s a bit of a mystery as sometimes mane-less lions are born in the same litter as maned lions in Africa. Mane-less lions are real, and if you are a lion connoisseur, then head to the Nyerere National Park (previously called Selous Game Reserve) of Tanzania. Here, mane-less lions are fairly common and are often the dominant males in their area.

A man-eater is something else altogether. Did you know that the famous man-eaters of Tsavo were mane-less? Between March and December 1898 a pair of male lions reportedly killed around 130 construction workers. Eventually, the rouge lions were shot and after being used as a carpet for a few years were sold to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, USA, where they are on display today.

You can visit the site of these legendary killers and even stay at the Man-eaters Camp. The male lions at Tsavo in Kenya, generally do not have manes. The best time to visit Tsavo is between June and October and in January and February. At these times the game viewing is best and you might just get a glimpse of descendants of the legendary man-eaters of Tsavo.

• Selous Safaris in Tanzania  
• Tsavo Safaris in Kenya

9. Best African lion safari day trips (Big 5 Safaris): Ngorongoro Crater

Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area is part of the Serengeti Biosphere Reserve. Unique among African safari destinations, the Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic  caldera . Encircled by the surrounding highlands, Ngorongoro is a wildlife haven. It is an ideal place to get close to wild lions in Africa as it boasts 5 prides on the crater floor. Lion sightings are almost guaranteed on safaris here thus Ngorongoro Crater is consistently rated as one of the best places to see lions in Africa.

The setting for the nearly 30,000 game animals that inhabit the crater floor is really extraordinary. Top African lion safari tip: go early to avoid the crowds, with one way in and one way out, visiting Ngorongoro Crater can get pretty busy. You can visit the wildlife-rich crater on a day trip from Arusha. 

• Ngorongoro Crater Safaris

10. Best place to see lion and predator clashes: Chobe

Chobe National Park in Botswana is well known for its lion versus hyena predator clashes. Savuti, in the southern reaches of Chobe, is famous for its predator-rich safari sightings. With large prides of lions, hyenas, and leopards patrolling the woodlands these predators often clash over both territory and food. Savuti is hands down one of the best places to see lions and other predators clash.

• Chobe Safari Tours

11. Best African lion safari on foot: Zambia walking safari

Historically speaking, South Luangwa National Park is where walking safaris were pioneered. Zambia’s Luangwa Valley is home to a large population of African lions and the perfect place to do a walking safari.

When you walk in the African bush – without the safety of a vehicle – you become another animal, a part of the environment. There is something primal about this experience that is utterly unique. Walking safaris are designed for full immersion. You will leave behind the well-travelled roads and head off the beaten track. In Luangwa, you can do anything from a morning stroll to a multi-day action-packed hike, walking in the tracks of lions. Undoubtedly one of the best places to see lions in Africa, South Luangwa is arguably the best place for an African lion safari on foot!

• South Luangwa Safaris

12. Best big cities for an African lion safari: Nairobi, Cape Town, Johannesburg

Despite being famous for Big 5 safaris, African countries are modernizing and Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Nairobi are modern and cosmopolitan destinations. Cape Town is a tourist mecca, considered by many to be the most beautiful city in the world. Isn’t it reassuring to know that despite their very concrete existence in the modern world, you can still see lions only a short distance away?

Nairobi Lion Safari

Nairobi National Park is just 7km (4 miles) away from the heart of Nairobi. Lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalos roam these Kenyan plains against the backdrop of the Nairobi city skyline. The proximity to a big city is unheard of.

• Safaris departing from Nairobi

Cape Town Lion Safari

The last lion was shot in Cape Town in 1802. These days, visitors to Cape Town will have to travel a little further to see lions and the other Big 5 animals, although not as far as you might think.

Here are the best  Big 5 game reserves near Cape Town , including Sanbona Wildlife Reserve (3-hour drive), Inverdoorn Game Reserve (2.5-hour drive), Aquila Private Game Reserve (2-hour drive) and the Garden Route Game Lodge (3.5-hour drive).

These private game reserves are all malaria-free, affordable, and, most importantly, home to a variety of wild animals including the Big 5 animals of Africa. 

• Cape Town Safaris & Tours
• Sanbona Safaris
• Inverdoorn Safaris
• Aquilla Safaris

Johannesburg Lion Safari

Johannesburg is not usually associated with lions and African lion safaris. However, if you have flown across the globe, a 4.5-hour drive to South Africa’s premier safari destination is not too bad. Kruger Park is world-renowned for good reason. The best place to see lions in Kruger National Park is south and central, with Sabi Sands being the top pick.

However, if this is a stretch too far, the Pilanesberg Nature Reserve is only 2.5 hours north-west of the big bad city. Pilanesberg is a fantastic Big 5 safari destination. The campsites are brilliant and the game viewing is excellent. Lions, elephants, and rhinos are common as well as a host of other herbivores. So close to both Pretoria and Johannesburg, that if you are pressed for time, it’s a no-brainer.

• Pilanesberg Safaris
• Kruger National Park Tours

13. Wildest places for African lion safaris: Ruhua and Niassa

To see African lions off the beaten path in wild terrain, you can visit Niassa Game Reserve in Mozambique or Ruaha in Tanzania. There are a few places where man has not yet made his mark. For example, while the Okavango is wild, it is also one of the most sought-after safari destinations. East Africa's most popular bucket list reserves are the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. These destinations are popular for a reason but you are not going to get that alone-in-Africa, wild sort of feeling. Niassa and Ruaha are growing in popularity because of their unspoiled allure.

The Niassa Game Reserve in northern Mozambique is a fantastic lion safari destination. Difficult to access because of poor infrastructure, once there, the game viewing is indescribable. For years the reserve was lost to the public because of civil war. The war, though terrible, kept Niassa remote and wild. Today, the reserve is home to prolific game including thousands of elephants, healthy populations of African painted wolves as well as lions, hyenas, and large herds of herbivores. Niassa has three endemic species Niassa wildebeest, Johnstons impala, and Boehms zebra. The exciting thing about Niassa Reserve is that it is part of a proposed Selous-Niassa Wildlife Protection Corridor. This vast corridor would link reserves in southern Tanzania with those in northern Mozambique, creating the largest protected wildlife park on earth!

In Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, when viewing lions, you are likely to have the sighting all to yourself. Hidden away in central Tanzania and part of the 45,000km² Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi  ecosystem , Ruaha has fewer than 6,000 safari-goers per year. That translates to about 16 visitors a day! This makes Ruaha one of East Africa’s hidden treasures.

The park itself has some remarkable draw cards. Wildly beautiful scenery studded with baobabs, Ruaha is home to 10% of the world's remaining lion population. In the Mwagusi area, African lion safari sightings are particularly good but in general, the density of predators in the park is some of the best in the country. Lastly, because of its remote location, Ruaha is excellent value for money and a brilliant African Budget safari option.

• Ruaha Safaris in Tanzania

14. Where are lions in Africa climbing trees?

Tree-climbing lions are a thing, and there are a few places where the behaviour is more common. So where are lions in Africa known to do this? Tree-climbing lions are most commonly sighted in East Africa, especially Tanzania and Uganda, with rarer sightings further south in sub-Saharan Africa. The best places to spot tree-climbing lions in Africa are Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, and Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania. The novelty of witnessing lions climbing trees makes these parks some of the best places to see lions in Africa, with a twist.

Find out where to see tree-climbing lions on safari:  Best place to see tree-climbing lions in Africa

• Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Lake Manyara National Park

15. The most affordable African lion safari packages

There are many different kinds of African safari, and costs will depend on the destination, duration, season, number of people, and more. For more detailed information you can read our African Safari Cost  page, but for now, here is a list of our most affordable African lion safari destinations and packages.

• Sanbona Wildlife Reserve near Cape Town
• The Kruger National Park , including Sabi Sands and Timbavati
• Etosha National Park in Namibia
• Hwange National Park - Zimbabwe
• Chobe National Park in Botswana

Plan an affordable African lion safari

There you have it, the best places to see lions in Africa, in a nutshell. If you'd like to see wild lions in Africa, African Budget Safaris has a huge selection of African safari tours to choose from.

Dive in and start planning with tips for your African lion safari and all about these African big cats . Or, get in touch with one of our passionate and knowledgeable travel experts to ask them any questions that you might have about lions, African lion safaris, or travelling to Africa in general. 

African Budget Safaris specializes in private and tailor-made African Safaris on a budget, so we can customize a private African lion safari that is just right for you. 

Contact African Budget Safaris today.

Andrew Hofmeyr Naturalist, Artist & Writer

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10 Interesting Facts About Mountain Lions

Mountain Lions are solitary and elusive creatures, they prefer to remain hidden and unseen. Because these wild cats of North America can sometimes live near our own backyards, we obviously have some questions. So in this article we’ll answer some of those common cougar questions, and learn some cool facts about Mountain Lions.

10 interesting facts about Mountain Lions

1. are cougars and mountain lions the same.

Yes, they are! The terms Mountain Lion and Cougar are interchangeable and refer to the same animal and species ( Puma concolor ). In fact the names Puma, Panther, Painter, Mexican Lion, and Catamount, in addition to Mountain Lion and Cougar, are all different names for the same species.

And there are more names beyond that! Because of their historic wide distribution, each region came up with their own names for these big cats, no wonder they are known as “the cat of many names”.

2. Are mountain lion attacks common?

Mountain lion attacks on humans are considered rare. They are very solitary creatures who prefer to pass by unseen. Even when living alongside humans, they rarely make their presence known. It is thought this is in part because they are not habituated to humans, and do not see them as prey.

This may begin to change as humans continue to move into their habitat, and it will be inevitable the number of encounters will increase. But cougars do not usually attack unless they feel cornered, or if someone running away from them triggers a chase response.

As housing and development expands further into their prime territories, these encounters will inevitably increase. Attacks and fatalities are still very rare, so take some comfort in that!

3. When are mountain lions most active?

Mountain lions are considered to be both crepuscular and nocturnal. Crepuscular means they like the early dawn and late twilight hours, and nocturnal means they are also active at night. They can certainly be seen during the day, but dawn, dusk and night is when they are most active.

4. Where do mountain lions sleep?

You might be thinking cougar retreat to a “home base” cave or a den for sleeping, but this is not the case. Most of the time they are always on the move around their territory, and cougars will just find a suitably sheltered spot to sleep .

Unless they have a large carcass they are feeding on over multiple days or the female is having kittens, mountain lions don’t tend to stay in one spot for more than a few days.

5. How long do mountain lions live?

The average life span in the wild is ten years. However in captivity, with no threat of hunting, starvation or many other typical dangers, mountain lions can live 20 plus years .

6. What sounds do mountain lions make?

Unlike other “big cats”, mountain lions do not have the ability to roar. They do not possess the same larynx and hyoid apparatus of the other big cat species that gives them this ability.

However mountain lions can make other sounds you may associate with cats such as hissing, growling, chirps and purrs. Mountain lions are also known for their eery “screaming” which occurs during mating.

7. What is an “umbrella species”?

Umbrella species is a term sometimes used in the world of environmental conservation. It refers to a species who’s protection inadvertently benefits many other species. Mountain lions are often considered umbrella species because of the large amounts of open habitat and wilderness they require to thrive.

For example they need almost 13 times the amount of area a black bear needs, or 40 times what a bobcat needs. So by protection cougars and creating legislation to preserve habit for them, it also has the potential to benefit many other animals species.

8. Can mountain lions jump?

Mountain lions actually have the largest hind legs (proportionally) of all the members of the cat family. This makes cougars great jumpers, able to leap from the ground 18 feet up into a tree. Their large hind legs also make them excellent at sprinting for short distances.

9. What do mountain lion tracks look like?

Adult cougar paw-prints are about 4-5 inches across for males, and <3.5 inches for females. Their heel pad is in a bit of an “M” shape at the bottom with a divot on top. Both front and back paws have four “tear drop” shaped toes, with one leading toe that is slightly higher than the others.

Typically their tracks do not show any claw marks, unlike tracks of dogs or coyotes. They usually keep their claws retracted unless they are maneuvering on difficult terrain.

10. How far do mountain lions roam?

On average, males have a home range covering from 50-150 square miles. Females have slightly smaller ranges of about 50 square miles. The males range may overlap with about 3-4 females, but no other males.

Females have less of a problem with their ranges overlapping with other females, while males do not want another male in their range. Often young female cougars will choose a territory next to the one in which they were born, where young males may travel very far to establish their own area.

Males have been occasionally spotted in many states of the east, who traveled there from the west. The famous “Connecticut mountain lion” traveled 1500 miles from South Dakota, the furthest trek currently recorded.

While this isn’t the norm, it is becoming slightly more common as mountain lions are striking out further east in search of territory.

WildlifeInformer.com is your #1 source for free information about all types of wildlife and exotic pets. We also share helpful tips and guides on a variety of topics related to animals and nature.

Wild Encounters

LIONS: Following The Pride 1: Introducing The New Lion Cubs!

Posted: June 25, 2024 | Last updated: June 25, 2024

The three cubs of the short-tailed lioness from the Ximhungwe pride were out for a walk, the first time they had been spotted away from the den.Filmed in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa This video features wild lions, lion cubs and lionesses. The lion pride is known as the Ximhungwe lion pride. The lions and lion cubs in this video are wild and none of this lion video is faked or set up.Subscribe: <a href="https://bit.ly/30a0IRM">https://bit.ly/30a0IRM</a> | Merch: <a href="http://teespring.com/stores/robtheranger">http://teespring.com/stores/robtheranger</a> Watch the newest videos: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLLkJbMHt1booI-NVZ7lZxheEp8UMFRYEFollow">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLLkJbMHt1booI-NVZ7lZxheEp8UMFRYEFollow</a> Rob The Ranger:TWITTER: <a href="http://goo.gl/U8IQGfINSTAGRAM:">http://goo.gl/U8IQGfINSTAGRAM:</a> <a href="https://instagram.com/robtheranger">https://instagram.com/robtheranger</a> BLOG: <a href="http://goo.gl/yJJ3pTFACEBOOK:">http://goo.gl/yJJ3pTFACEBOOK:</a> <a href="http://goo.gl/M8pnJhSTEEMIT:">http://goo.gl/M8pnJhSTEEMIT:</a> <a href="https://steemit.com/@robtheranger">https://steemit.com/@robtheranger</a> TUMBLR: <a href="http://goo.gl/qF6sNSTIKTOK:">http://goo.gl/qF6sNSTIKTOK:</a> <a href="http://www.tiktok.com/@robtherangerWatch">www.tiktok.com/@robtherangerWatch</a> more videos!Lions, Lions, And More Lions: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLLkJbMHt1bpPTGnTaR798fdsHNJ7ZNGtAfrican">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLLkJbMHt1bpPTGnTaR798fdsHNJ7ZNGtAfrican</a> Elephant (Loxodonta africana): <a href="https://.youtube.com/playlist?v=qzINZPv7PMc&list=PLLLkJbMHt1bpUo_KWtwJ3ck3Q1-xfMmkh&playnext=1African">https://.youtube.com/playlist?v=qzINZPv7PMc&list=PLLLkJbMHt1bpUo_KWtwJ3ck3Q1-xfMmkh&playnext=1African</a> Wild Dogs/Painted Wolves: <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?v=DXQc_v5qjS4&list=PLLLkJbMHt1bocK9_hokQ5Z8tpEOukHJnv&playnext">https://youtube.com/playlist?v=DXQc_v5qjS4&list=PLLLkJbMHt1bocK9_hokQ5Z8tpEOukHJnv&playnext</a> =1Hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius): [https://youtube.com/playlist?v=nDgIt9QF_IM&list=PLLLkJbMHt1bqhsVIGpg5YgS4-prwujiKq&playnext=1 Most Popular: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLLkJbMHt1bpQ4T4enPPMkf_5cK26VouwAbout">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLLkJbMHt1bpQ4T4enPPMkf_5cK26VouwAbout</a> Rob The Ranger Wildlife Videos:The purpose of the channel is to show what it is like to experience seeing wild animals on an African safari. Nature Documentaries are often highly edited to tell a story, wildlife safaris are not, and the idea here is to show the wildlife sightings the way they were seen. Safari tours in Africa are generally suitable for all ages and this channel can be considered an educational channel about incredible nature, some scenes in the nature videos may be more graphic than people are used to but this is the reality of nature and is what you would see if you were present on such a safari in person. Safaris in Kenya, South Africa, or any other African country are an unrivalled experience for anyone with a passion for nature, wildlife photography, and travel. Hopefully the animal videos on this channel can provide a glimpse into what the nature experience is like and encourage more people to take a wildlife safari one day. Make sure to subscribe and enable ALL notifications!#robtheranger #followingthepride #ximhungwelions

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Lions’ 2024 Travel Distance Surprises Compared to NFL Rivals

NFL Teams’ Travel Miles: A Look into the 2024 Season Logistics

In the intricate world of NFL scheduling, one of the critical factors that often goes under the radar is the total distance teams are required to travel throughout the 18-week regular season. Insights from a CBS Sports analysis reveal that all 32 teams in the league are set to embark on at least eight travel missions, with some teams logging significantly more miles and traversing numerous time zones—including international jaunts to Germany and England.

The method for tallying up these annual travel distances involves calculating the linear air miles between stadiums, a task undertaken with the aid of Google Earth. A closer look at the data uncloaks the Detroit Lions’ travel itinerary which spans a total of 14,328 miles, crisscrossing a total of 22 time zones in their 2024 season journey.

Despite the hefty mileage, the Lions find themselves on the lower end of the travel spectrum, marking the ninth smallest travel distance across the league. In comparison within the NFC, only the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and the Washington Commanders are set to cover fewer miles than Detroit. Remarkably, Washington lays claim to the shortest travel distance league-wide, with a total of 10,550 miles.

Delving deeper into the NFC North, the travel figures escalate with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings not far from each other, at 19,558 and 19,030 miles, respectively. However, it’s the Green Bay Packers who take the lead in travel miles within the division, gearing up for a whopping total of 22,209 miles.

An interesting twist for the Detroit Lions is their unique position as the only team in the NFC North not scheduled for an international game this season, sparing them the additional travel strain. This scheduling nuance could offer a slight edge in terms of logistics and recovery times between games.

Reflecting on the previous season, the Lions traveled 13,923 miles, indicating a modest increase of 405 miles in their 2024 travel itinerary. This slight uptick in travel might seem negligible, but in the demanding world of professional football, every mile and time zone crossed can add layers of complexity to team logistics, preparation, and recovery protocols.

As we pivot towards the Detroit Lions’ 2024 NFL schedule, these travel dynamics paint a picture of the logistical challenges and strategic considerations teams face beyond the gridiron battles. With the Lions aiming to optimize their performance in the face of these travel demands, the upcoming season holds much anticipation for fans and analysts alike.

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Commanders set to travel and interview ben johnson, share this article.

Tuesday, brought the NFL world the news that the Commanders and Falcons are both planning on going to interview Ben Johnson next week.

Johnson, the Lions offensive coordinator has already interviewed with Washington once. What makes this Pelissero update an attention grabber is the Commanders are traveling to Johnson next week.

This does NOT mean Johnson is the only candidate the Commanders want. New GM Adam Peters no doubt understands he needs to have a couple of backup plans in place so that he can at least get one of his top choices during this hiring cycle.

However, the fact the Commanders are already planning on traveling to Johnson next week may indicate Johnson is their first choice. We will learn more this week and perhaps Peters will also schedule a second or third candidate to be interviewed again next week as well.

The #Commanders and #Falcons are both expected to send a contingent to Detroit next week to conduct second interviews with #Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, per sources. No more interviews are permitted with coaches still in the playoffs until after Sunday's games. — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 23, 2024

What’s more, is the urgency of interviewing Johnson. The Commanders are well aware that Johnson has already interviewed five teams.

Are the Commanders planning on interviewing Ravens DC Mike Macdonald as well next week?

Washington is interviewing Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and Rams DC Raheem Morris again this week. The Commanders interviewed Texans OC Bobby Slowik for a second time on Tuesday.

Johnson began coaching as a Boston College graduate assistant (2009-10) before coaching their tight ends in 2011.

Moving to the Miami Dolphins for six seasons (2013-18), Johnson was an offensive assistant, an assistant to the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends coaches through 2017. In 2018, at age 32, he became an NFL position coach (wide receivers).

In 2019, Johnson became the offensive quality control coach for the Lions, then transitioned to be the Lions tight ends coach in the 2020-21 seasons. Johnson, now age 37, has been the Lions’ offensive coordinator in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

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The Top 5 Places to See Lions in Africa

Lions are at the top of the wish-list for most first-time safari-goers . They are the most iconic member of the Big Five  and play an important ecological role as keystone predators. Lions typically favor areas with plenty of open grassland and are found in most of the major national parks and game reserves of Southern and East Africa . Because they are diurnal and naturally sociable, they are easier to spot than the elusive leopard and many of Africa's smaller, nocturnal felines. However, they do most of their hunting after dark and if you see them during the day, you're most likely to catch them napping. 

Despite their wide distribution, lions are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The African population has declined by 43% since the early 1990s, due in large part to habitat loss and hunting. To see these kings and queens of the bush remains a real privilege. You can increase your chances of an encounter by visiting safari destinations known for their healthy lion populations. We've listed five of the best below.  

Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, Tanzania & Kenya

TripSavvy / Felicia Martinez

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem includes the Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania and the Maasai Mara National Reserve in southern Kenya. The area is home to around 4,000 lions, including well-known prides like those featured on legendary documentary Big Cat Diaries . Try to time your trip with the annual Great Migration , when vast herds of wildebeest and zebra move throughout the ecosystem in search of good grazing. Lions follow in their wake, making the most of the abundant prey. Head to the southern Serengeti from December to March to see lions in action during calving season; and to the Mara River in July and August to watch them ambushing the wildebeest as they attempt to cross the river. In Kenya, private conservancies offer a more exclusive safari experience.

Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

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Located in central Tanzania , Ruaha National Park is the country's largest game reserve, but also one of its least visited - giving you the chance to escape the crowds of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. It's also an exceptional choice for lion sightings, with 40% of Tanzania's lions and 10% of the entire African population living within its borders. The Ruaha lions are known for forming large prides with up to 30 individuals and have relatively small territories, making them easy to spot. To feed these large families, lionesses work together to bring down Cape buffalo. A battle between two of Africa's most dangerous animals is something you will never forget - although it's not for the faint-hearted. With only a few remote camps, Ruaha offers a taste of true wilderness and is a great option for East Africa veterans.

Greater Kruger Area, South Africa

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​South Africa 's largest national park, the Kruger , lies on the country's northeast border with Mozambique and has a population of around 1,800 lions. Generally, the southern section of the park is considered best for lion sightings because it has a greater concentration of prey animals. If you're self-driving , the tar road between Skukuza and Satara has earned itself a reputation for frequent lion encounters. Some of the best places to see lions in the Kruger area, however, are in the unfenced private reserves that border the national park. These include Sabi Sands Game Reserve , Manyeleti Game Reserve and Timbavati Private Game Reserve. The latter is famous for its exceptionally rare white lions, although don't bet on seeing them - they have been pushed to the brink of extinction by trophy hunters.

Okavango Delta, Botswana

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Botswana's Okavango Delta boasts one of the largest lion populations in the world with over 2,300 lions thought to live in the greater Okavango-Hwange area. These lions have adapted to the Delta's aquatic ecosystem and can often be seen swimming between islands in search of prey during the June to October flood. They are known for their size and often target bigger prey, including buffalo and elephant. Traditionally the dry season - confusingly the same as the flood season - is the best time to see lions because prey is restricted to higher ground and predators are therefore less spread out. However, the rainy months (December to March) coincide with calving season and are a good time for witnessing a kill. The surrounding areas of Chobe , Savuti and Linyati are also known for lion sightings. 

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

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Located in east Zambia, South Luangwa National Park also has large prides of up to 30 lions. The southern region is particularly productive, since incredible concentrations of game mean that lions don't have to go far to find prey and have smaller territories, making them easier to locate. Interestingly, some of the South Luangwa prides have developed an unusual taste for hippos and if you're very lucky, you may be able to witness this phenomenon for yourself. South Luangwa is also special because it allows night drives, unlike most other national parks. This gives you the chance to look for lions when they're at their most active. Make sure to sign up for at least one walking safari, too. The park is famous for them and the thrill of seeing Africa's apex predator on foot is a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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