What an amazing animal education video - Lions 360° - National Geographic. For a young male lion, growing up can be a struggle. This VR film, by National Geographic Explorer Martin Edström, shows you amazing lions up close. The life of the pride’s alpha male is interesting. Take a look at how these animals fight for survival.
The lion (Panthera leo) is a species in the family Felidae and certainly a member of the genus Panthera. The Lion is the most recognisable for its muscular, deep-chested body, short, rounded head and round ears. The beautiful Lion also has a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. Lions are a social species, forming groups called prides. A lion pride consists of a few adult males, related females and cubs. Groups of female lions usually hunt together. The lion is an apex and keystone predator, although some lions scavenge when opportunities occur. Unfortunately, some lions have been known to hunt humans, although this happens rarely.
Most often, lions inhabit grasslands and savannas. Usually, lions do not live in dense forests. In the Pleistocene, the lion ranged throughout Eurasia, Africa and North America, but today it has been reduced to fragmented populations in sub-Saharan Africa and one critically endangered population in western India.
Lions have been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 because populations in African countries have declined by about 43% since the early 1990s. It seems that the cause of the decline is not fully understood. However, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are certainly the greatest causes for concern.
Lions are often depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire.
Interesting Lion Hybrids exist. In zoos, lions have been bred with tigers to create hybrids for the curiosity of visitors or for scientific purposes. The liger is bigger than a lion and a tiger, whereas most tigons are relatively small compared to their parents because of reciprocal gene effects. The leopon is a hybrid between a lion and leopard.
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