Known as The King of the Jungle, lions sit atop the African food chain and can spend much of their day sleeping, napping and resting with only short bursts of activity throughout the day. One of the more social of the large cat species, they live and often hunt together in prides. A pride consists of lionesses, cubs and a few unrelated males. Females will stay together for life, whereas males only stay with a pride for as little as a couple of months to as long as a few years.

Lions are carnivores, and their main prey are wildebeest, antelope, giraffe, buffalo, wild hog and zebra, and they will also eat the remains of another predator's meal.

Lions can live up to 15 years in the wild and have been estimated to live as long as 30 years in captivity. Lionesses have a gestation period of four months and can usually birth a litter of about three to four cubs every two years.

Considered a vulnerable species, the lion population has declined because of habitat destruction, which has impacted both its livelihood and the viability of its prey.

Lives in parts of Africa and India.