Asiatic Lion
Asiatic lions are smaller and stockier and are not really lighter than African lions with shorter, thinner manes and they have a longer dark tuft at the end of the tail and thicker tufts of fur at their elbows. They also have a fold of skin which runs the length of their belly. Males are larger than females which don’t have manes. Their body coats are short and of a golden, tawny brown colour which is paler on their undersides.
What they eat
Deer, antelope, wild boar, buffalo.
How long they live
Up to 18 years
Biology
Females are social and normally live in pairs, sometimes in two pairs. Males are usually solitary and only associate with females when they are in season or there has been a big kill. Females reach sexual maturity at about four years old and will have a litter of up to six cubs, which can be dependent on their mothers for about 16 months.
Did you know?
Even though these lions are not protected by the Indian government, fears for their future are growing. Unless a way can be found to breed a separate group of Asiatic lions in the wild, other than those in the Gir Forest, researchers are afraid the odds are mounting that they may soon be wiped out completely by the onset of disease or an environmental disaster. With this in mind a wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh has been earmarked as a possible site for establishing a new population.
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Species Profile
Common name
Asiatic Lion
Scientific name
Panthera leo persica
Animal group/type
Mammal - carnivore
Where they live
India - in the Gir Forest in Gujarat
Habitat
Deciduous forest and scrub lands.
Size
Head to body length males: up to 240cm
females up to 170cm
Shoulder height males: up to 110cm
females: up to 90cm
Weight
Males: Up to 225kg
Females: Up to 150kg
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
Critically Endangered
Threats
Natural disasters such as fires and floods, to which they are especially vulnerable due to the fact that their numbers are so few and those that do exist are concentrated in a small area of India.
Their limited population and range also makes them more prone to disease and potentially fatal epidemics.
Hunting or poisoning by farmers after lions have attacked livestock.
Deaths due to falling and drowning in irrigation wells dug by farmers, or electrocution by crudely set up electric fences intended to protect agricultural crops.