World Lion Day 2021: The King of the Jungle!!

My name is Panthera Leo, from the Felidae family
I’m a powerfully built cat, with a strong compact body
Well-muscled with powerful forelegs,
Teeth and jaws for pulling down and killing prey
I wear my favourite yellow gold coat and a shaggy mane ranging from blond reddish brown to black
The length and colour of my mane is determined by my age, genetics and or hormones
My younger ones have light spotting on their coats which disappear as they grow
King of beasts is what the call me
I am the king of the jungle!!

 

I’m proud to say that I am one of the well-known wild animals since earliest times
Living in a wide range of habitats
From plains, savannas to thick brush and dry thorn forests.
I am the king of the jungle!!

 

I am a carnivore
My prey is basically large animals such as zebras and buffaloes.
In times of shortages, I also eat variety of smaller animals from rodents to reptiles
I can as well steal kills from others, hyenas, leopards, and any other predators
At times I also lose my prey to groups of hyenas
In areas close to villages I may as well feed on domestic livestock
I am the king of the jungle!!

 

I am symbol of strength and courage
I am a symbol of royalty and stateliness hence the phrase ‘king of the jungle’
When it comes to communications
I use a whole range of various behaviours and expressive movements
I perform peaceful tactile actions including licking and rubbing heads
Head rubbing and nuzzling is a common greeting behaviour
I communicate through a range variety of vocalisations
Purrs, snarls, mews and hissing
The vocalisations also vary in intensity and pitch
I roar to communicate my position to other pride
My roar is the loudest of any other big cat
It can be heard up to 8km away

I am the king of the jungle!!

 

I have a terrific night vision
6 times sensitive to light than human being
This gives me a distinct advantage over some prey species during the night
I am a proud king of the jungle!!!

 

I love sleeping, relaxing and lazing around
I spend up to between 16 to 20 hours each day sleeping and resting
I have sweat glands so I wisely tend to conserve my energy by resting during the day
I’m much more active at night when it is cooler
I am the king of the jungle!!

 

I take care of most of the defensive duties
While the other gender, the females do the rest of the hunting
My females work as a group
And use intelligent hunting techniques to catch prey
I am indeed the king of the jungle!!!

 

To proclaim my territory I roar
I also use urine scent to mark my territory
Urinating on bushes, trees or simply on the ground
Is also my way of marking my territory
I am the king of the jungle!!

 

I live with others in groups called prides
My pride can comprise of up to 40 individuals
Including adults, sub adults and cubs
The size of my pride is usually determined by the availability of prey
When kept in a zoo I can live up to my late teens or early 20s
In the wild I can live up to 12 years,
While the other gender, the females can live up to 16 years
I am an amazing wild animal!
I’m proud to be the king of the jungle!!
HAPPY WORLD LION DAY!!!!!

 

 

Written by Van Hellen Ruwende ( 0717 663 938)
Bindura University of Science Education
Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe Intern 2021