Lion Pictures and Facts Page 4

An African lion in Tanzania.
Image Source: Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A sleek lion to visit your desktop . . .
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Fact: Lions are known as opportunistic hunters, meaning that they will kill and eat whatever happens to be convenient for them at the time. In fact, they frequently scavenge off other animals, and steal their food for themselves. Hyenas are a common victim of the lion's hunger; it was once estimated that in one particular region of the Serengeti in Tanzania, eighty-one percent of what lions had been eating, had not been killed by their own efforts, but by hyenas. Source: All the World's Animals: Carnivores, Torstar Books, page 23.

An African lioness with her two cubs.
Image Source: Kenneth Stansell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The pride of this mother lion's heart!
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Fact: Lions usually rest for about twenty hours a day, making them known as the laziest carnivore in the wilds of Africa! But they need all that rest, for lions are not built for endurance, but great bursts of strength that can take their prey down and provide food for the rest of the pride. Lions hunt mostly at night, and generally spend the remaining time resting in the shade from the hot African sun. Source: African Wildlife Foundation