Lion: status, range, size and diet
The only truly social big cat, living in prides on African grasslands and in one forest in India, and listed as Vulnerable.
Also known as Panthera leo, African lion, Asiatic lion, king of the beasts
At a glance
| Scientific name | Panthera leo |
|---|---|
| Group | Big cats |
| Weight | Males about 160-225 kg, females about 110-145 kg |
| Length | Head and body about 160-208 cm, tail about 72-94 cm |
| Known for | Living in prides and the male's mane, which no other living cat has. |
Status
| IUCN Red List category | Vulnerable |
|---|---|
| Assessed in | 2025 |
Where it lives
| Range | Sub-Saharan Africa, plus a single population in and around Gir National Park in western India |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Grassland, savanna and open woodland, rarely closed forest |
| Diet | Wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, antelope and other hoofed mammals; chital and sambar deer in India |
Main threats
- Conflict with livestock owners
- Loss of habitat and wild prey
- Illegal killing and trade in parts
- Snaring and bushmeat hunting
About
The lion is the second-largest living cat after the tiger and the only one that lives in permanent groups. A pride usually holds several related females, their young and a small number of adult males. Males are easy to tell apart by the mane, which varies in colour and fullness and is thought to play a part in rivalry and mate choice. The coat is tawny, and cubs are born with faint spots that fade with age.
Lions roar, and the sound can carry several kilometres across open ground. Roaring helps pride members find one another and warns rival groups to keep away.
Where it lives and what it eats
Lions once ranged over Africa and a good part of Eurasia, reaching southeastern Europe and India. Today they survive in scattered populations south of the Sahara, mainly in protected areas, and in one forest reserve in Gujarat. Many experts treat lions as two subspecies. One covers West and Central Africa and the Asiatic lion, the other covers East and Southern Africa. Central African animals show mixed ancestry, so the grouping may change.
They hunt medium and large hoofed animals. Females do most of the hunting, often working together at dusk, at night or at dawn. Lions also scavenge, and in parts of India livestock makes up a share of what they kill.
Threats and conservation
The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and the 2025 assessment describes a decreasing trend. Populations in West and Central Africa are the most fragile. The causes include lost grassland, the decline of wild prey, snares set for other animals, killing in revenge for livestock losses, and trade in bones and other parts.
Conservation work includes fenced reserves, compensation and herding schemes that reduce losses, community patrols and wildlife corridors. The Asiatic lions of Gir grew from roughly 180 animals in 1974 to several hundred, though a single population is exposed to disease and disaster, and plans exist to establish a second one.
Cats and people
Lions appear in the heraldry, religion and stories of many cultures, and they have been kept in menageries since Roman times. They remain one of the commonest large animals in zoos, which keep managed breeding programmes. Wild lions can be dangerous, and attacks on people occur in some regions, especially where wild prey is short and livestock is close by. Trophy hunting of lions is legal in some African countries and debated everywhere.
Profile last reviewed November 7, 2026