Top 12 Facts about Lions
The heaviest lion ever recorded in captivity weighed 375kg (827 pounds)
The heaviest lion recorded in the wild was a man-eating lion that was shot just outside the Kruger National Park that weighed 313kg (690 pounds)
The lion has a top running speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) for short distances and can reach this speed in just 3 seconds!
The collective name for group of lions is a 'PRIDE'.
The highest number of human deaths due to man-eating lions was recorded in Tanzania in 1932 in which a pride of lions killed an estimated 2000 people!
In captivity lions have been know to breed with tigers. A cub born of which the father is a lion and the mother is a tiger is called a 'Liger'. In the case where the father is a tiger and the mother is a lioness the cub is called a 'Tigon'.
The roar of a lion can be heard up to 8km (5 miles) away, especially on a cold night when the air is cool and more dense, allowing the sound to travel further.
A large male lion can eat up to 25kg (55 pounds) of meat on a single feeding. A full bellied lion can go quite comfortably for a week without feeding.
In the wild lions live up to 20 years. In captivity the oldest recorded lion lived to just short of 29 years.
Lions have very keen eyesight which is 5 times better than the human being.
These powerful cats have extremely powerful jaws that measure at 600 pounds of bite force.
Lions on their own are not successful hunters but as a pride are capable of hunting large animals such as buffalo, rhinoceros, hippo and even sub-adult elephant if the pride is large.
