Asiatic Lion

Facts About Asiatic Lions

• Scientific name: Panthera leo persica
• Weight: Male 150-250Kg; Female 120-180Kg
• Length (head and body): Male 1.7-2.5m; Female 1.4-1.75m
• Length (tail): 70-105cm
• Shoulder height: Male 1-1.23m; Female 80-107cm
• Sexual Maturity: Male 5 years; Female 4 years
• Mating season: All year round
• Gestation period: 100-119 days
• Number of young: 1 to 6
• Birth interval: 18-26 months
• Typical diet: Deer, antelope, wild boar, buffalo
• Lifespan: 16-18 years

Asiatic Lion is one of the seven sub-species of lions on this planet. Its scientific name is "Panthera Leo Persica". Gir, popular name for part of Gujarat in India is the only place where this magnificent animal is found today.

Asiatic lions feed on wild pigs, cattle, antelope and deer in the wild. Present population of Asiatic Lion is 359 and is increasing every year because of conservation efforts of local people and Government of Gujarat...

Size And Physical Characteristics
Asiatic lion is the second largest big cat in the family after Siberian tiger. A mature lion is about a length of 1.7 m to 2.5m. the tail of Indian lion is dark tuft of fur at the end. The male lion is weigh around 150 to 250 kg. The lioness is much smaller than size and weight. The color of male is orange yellow, sometimes dark brown in color. The feature that neatly distinct male from female is the mane of lion, which is usually dark in color. The Asiatic lions are much smaller than African lions but they are more bushy.

Mating Behavior
Male lions attain the age of maturity around 5 years of age, while the lionesses become mature after becoming 4 years old. There is no particular mating season of the Indian Lions. They can mate anytime during the entire year. The gestation period lasts for 100 to 119 days, after which 3 to 4 cubs are born.

Natural Habitat
Asiatic Lions are found inhabiting open grasslands and forests of India, including scrub jungles.

Diet
Indian Lions are carnivorous and depend upon hunting for food. Their prey mainly comprises of Deer, Antelope, Wild Boar and Wild Buffalo. At times, lions have also been observed attacking young hippopotamus and elephants.

Geographical Range
Asiatic Lions are highly endangered species and have become extinct from all the countries of the world, except the Indian subcontinent. In India also, the animal is found only in the Gir forests of Gujarat.

Current Status
The last census on the Asiatic Lions was carried out in the year 2006. It revealed the population of the species to be somewhere around 359, including over 50 lions kept in captivity.

Trivia
Asiatic lions form prides (groups), in which all the work, including hunting, is done by the lionesses. The only work that males do is to make the first claim on the prey hunted by the females. Apart from that, they just laze around and do nothing.