From time immemorial the lion caused respect and awe in the person. Its majestic appearance, a terrible roar and bravery gave to a lion the status of the king of beasts. Distinguishes from other predatory cats of lions also that they live the families called prides.
Lions – the most sociable among predatory cats. They prefer to hunt, eat and have a rest groups. The number of a lion's pride can fluctuate from four to forty individuals. In the head of the family there is a leader, but the main work is performed by lionesses. Their tasks – education of posterity and hunting.
Borders of the territory are marked by the leader. Protecting the family, he will fight to death. Lionesses drive away foreign females who try to join a pride. But fights happen not so often, usually lions, having caught a smell of the marked territory, turn aside.
Hunting and rest
Hunting in common, lionesses kill production without special work. Favourite delicacy of lions – antelopes, gazelles, zebras, sheep, large horned animals. But in hungry times the family does not disdain even mice and a locust. Tracking down production, lionesses approach it, disappearing in a grass or bushes. Having waited for a right moment, they attack an animal, deafening by blow of a paw and biting for a neck. The purposes most often serve the sick or weakened individuals. Besides independent hunting the lions take away production from others or select drop. The leader of pack eats with the first. If there is a lot of food, along with him it is authorized to eat also to other members of a pride. Otherwise they are forced to wait for the turn. Little young lions eat with the last. That they were not deprived of food, the dominating male watches a meal from beginning to end. Having been full, lions move to a shadow and is lazy fall asleep on a back, having stretched paws and occasionally pulling tails. To get rid of annoying insects, lions can settle down on branches of trees, having got above.
Family feelings
Lions are very friendly to each other. They rub muzzles, protect members of the family, admit to a meal of individuals who owing to health cannot hunt. Males are attentive to the girlfriends during courting. Having chosen itself couple, they together with a female go from a pride to five-day "honeymoon". "Lovers" spend all this time together: go, eat and sleep, without being separated. In three and a half months the pregnant female goes to the lonely place and brings posterity into the world. Having been born blind and helpless, young lions are endangered, proceeding from other predators. The lioness is forced to combine hunting and care for young lions. At the age of two months young lions, having a little got stronger, can join a pride. In absence of mother it is allowed to them to be fed from other female. At the lioness capable again to hunt in pack, more free time which can be spent for education and care for posterity is formed. When changing the power in a pride the new leader kills not only the previous dominating male, but also all his posterity. It is caused by desire to have own cubs, and the females occupied with education of foreign young lions are not ready to new pairings.