Facts About The Lion

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- Amalia Septi M. (03)

Deby Nur A .
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Eko Agus S. (15)
Septi Nurmala S. (32)

Facts About The Lion

Basic Fact
Renowned for its majesty and nicknamed "the king of the jungle," the lion
possesses both beauty and strength. Lions vary in color but typically sport light yellowbrown coats. Mature male lions are unique among big cats due the thick brown or
black manes that encircle their necks and protect them while fighting.
Diet
Lions consume a wide variety of prey, from wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe,
buffalo and wild hogs to sometimes rhinos and hippos. They will also feed on smaller
animals such as hares, birds and reptiles. Lions are also known to attack elephants when
food is scarce.
Population
The lion population in Africa has been reduced by half since the early 1950s. Today,
fewer than 21,000 remain in all of Africa.
Range
Though lions used to live in most parts of Africa, they are now found only in the
south Sahara desert and in parts of southern and eastern Africa. Historically, in addition to
Africa, lions were found from Greece through the Middle East to northern India.
Behavior

The only social member of the cat (Felidae) family, lions live in large groups called
"prides," consisting of about 15 lions. Related females and their young make up the majority
of the pride. A single male, or sometimes a small group of 2-3 males, will join a pride for an
indefinite period, usually about 3 years or until another group of males takes over.
Lions within a pride are often affectionate and, when resting, seem to enjoy good
fellowship with lots of touching, head rubbing, licking and purring. The males are
territorial, and will roar and use scent markings to establish their domains.
Females do almost all of the hunting. They are mainly nocturnal and work in teams
to stalk and ambush prey. Lions inhabit grassy plains, savannahs, open woodlands and scrub
country. These landscapes allow the hunters to creep stealthily through vegetation and leap
upon their unsuspecting prey.
Reproduction
Mating
Season: Throughout
the
year.
Gestation: Around
110
days.
Litter size: 3-4 cubs.Young cubs are vulnerable to predation by hyenas, leopards and blackbacked jackals. The cubs begin hunting at 11 months but remain with their mother for at
least two years.

Past Fact
1. The lion population in Africa has been reduced by half since the early 1950s.
Today, fewer than 21,000 remain in all of Africa.
2. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire.
3. The lions of Savuti, Botswana, have adapted to hunting young elephants
during the dry season, and a pride of 30 lions has been recorded killing
individuals between the ages off our and eleven years.
4. Lions have been admired and feared by people for centuries but due to both
hunting and growing Human settlements.

Present Fact
Conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and the University of St.
Andrews warn that Uganda's African lions -- a mainstay of the country's tourism industry
and a symbol of Africa -- are on the verge of disappearing from the country's national parks.
According to the results of a recent survey, African lions in Uganda have decreased
by more than 30 percent over the past 10 years in some areas of the country, mostly the
result of poisoning by local cattle herders, retaliations for livestock predation, and other
human-related conflicts. The downward trend in lion numbers has conservationists
concerned about the species' long-term chances in the country, often described as the "Pearl
of Africa" for its natural wonders.

The study appears in the latest edition of the journalOryx. The authors include:
Edward Okot Omoya, Tutilo Mudumba, Paul Mulondo, and Andrew J. Plumptre from WCS
and Stephen T. Buckland of the University of St. Andrews.
"African lions are a vital component of these ecosystems," said WCS conservationist
Edward Okot Omoya, the lead author of the study. "They play an important role in disease
control of antelopes and buffalo by killing the sick animals."
The paper describes the results of a "lure count" analysis survey to estimate the
density and population distribution of lions and spotted hyenas in Uganda's three major
conservation areas, conducted by researchers between November 2008 and November 2009.
The researchers used a buffalo calf distress call (broadcast via speakers mounted on a
vehicle roof rack) to attract both medium and large carnivores to the "call stations" as a
means of calculating a current population estimate for the study locations. Previous survey
methods used to count lions have included counting roars, identifying individual cats, and
mark-recapture methods, but the methods are time-consuming and expensive.
Overall, the call station surveys attracted a total of 66 lions, 176 spotted hyenas, and
seven leopards. The broadcasts also attracted a host of smaller predators, including sidestriped jackals, black-backed jackals, white-tailed mongooses, and large spotted genets.
Using the data of animals observed, the analysis generated an estimated lion
population of 408 animals in the three main strongholds for lions in Uganda, nearly two
hundred fewer lions than estimates made in 2000-2002 (a statistical decrease of more than
30 percent). In Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, estimated lion numbers have decreased
from 206 to 144 over the past decade (a 30 percent drop). In Murchison Falls Conservation
Area, the team estimates a nearly 60 percent drop (from 324 to 132 lions in the past decade).
Only in Kidepo Valley National Park did the researchers detect an increase in estimated lion
numbers (climbing from 58 to 132).
"Lions are the species tourists most want to see in Uganda's savannas according to
research by WCS. Surveys of tourists have shown that they would be 50% less likely to visit
the parks in Uganda if they couldn't see lions, and if they did visit they would want to pay
less for the experience. As an industry that generates more foreign currency in the country
than any other business this could have significant consequences for Uganda" reported Dr.
Andrew Plumptre, WCS's Director for the Albertine Rift.
The study also represents the first survey of hyena numbers from these areas,
generating a population estimate of 324 hyenas (the researchers suspect -- but cannot prove
-- hyenas to be in decline as well).
"Conservation areas such as Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls, which formerly
contained the highest biomass of mammals on Earth, depend on the delicate balance
between predators and prey," said Dr. James Deutsch, Executive Director of WCS's Africa
Program. "Their loss would permanently alter two of Africa's great ecosystems."

The crisis in lion conservation in Uganda reflects the status of the species across
Africa, where lion populations have dropped by 30 percent over the past two decades as a
result of illegal killing and the loss of both habitat and prey. The most recent estimate of
Africa's total lion population is approximately 32,000 animals. A group study led by WCS
estimated that 42 percent of major lion populations are in decline. The species is nearly
extinct in West and Central Africa. The species is listed as "Vulnerable" by the International
Union for Conservation of Nature but there is a current proposal to list the species as
"Endangered" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act because of the continuing global
declines.

Future Fact
In 2004, the number of sumatera tiger population only 400. Sumatera
tigers faced two kinds of threats they are:
They lose their habitat because the high of deforestation and
They are threatened illegal trading
Which are the merchantbility the parts of their bodies, the highest price in
the black market for traditional medicine, accessories charm and decoration.
According to me, in the future the tiger will be lost if we dont care to them.
So, we must try hard to:
Good treatment for tigers are in the zoo.
The explicit the punishment for poachers
Making many wildlife reserve in Indonesia.