The Lion is scientifically known as Panthera Leo. The lions are commonly referred to as large cats of the species Panthera. The lions have a rounded head and rounded ears, a broad-chested body with a hairy tuft at the end of their tail. The lions are keystone predators, normally they use to hunt deer or other wild animals, but they also hunt down humans as well.
So the question is how long can a lion live, well this question particularly this question has a couple of answers, the lion life span depends on some factors so, let’s dig deep into this and find out amazing facts about this animal.
What is the Lion Life Span?
A male lion can live 8 to 10 years and female lions have an average lifespan of 15-16 years. The lioness has a longer lifespan than a male lion. Once a lion reaches the age of 10 years his/her body starts to become weak.
What Causes a Shorter Lion Life Span?
Although lions have a strong and muscular body and their body grows stronger as they age, despite these characteristics diseases can lead them to a shorter lifespan than they can live up to normally. An injury can also play a role in the shorter lifespan of a lion. Some of the injuries to vital organs like the heart can cause sudden death while an injury on the leg or on the outer part of the body could weaken them.
What is Lion LifeSpan in Captivity?
The lions in captivity have a greater lifespan than lions in the wild. Because they don’t have natural threats and also if they have any disease they are medically treated and can heal themselves. When provided the right environment and care the lions can live up to 20 years or even 25 years as well.
The lions in the zoo are cared for by the zoo keepers who feed them on time and provide healthcare and other necessary items that lead them to longer lifespans.
In captivity, there are no threats that can lead them to injury and they also don’t have to hunt for food. So, only old age or incurable disease can cause their death in captivity.
Longest Lion Life Span
If any animal is treated with care and lives in the right environment they can live more than their average lion life span. This is the same with the lions. Some studies have suggested that there has been a lion that lived up to 29 years. But there is not any specific evidence about that. The cases that have strong shreds of evidence are of Arjun (the longest-lived lion ever) and Zenda (the second longest-lived lion ever).
Arjun: The Oldest Lion
Despite living in the cavity most lions can hardly make it to 20 years but Arjun’s case was different. Arjun is known as the longest-lived lion on the face of this planet. He lived at the Animal Rescue Centre, in India. He never spent a single day in the wild as he was in captivity with proper care.
He died on 17th May 2018. Some evidence suggests that he was between 26 and 29 years old at his death. His death was multiple organ failure probably due to his old age.
Zenda: The Second Oldest Lion
Zenda was an African lioness, she was born at Johannesburg Zoo in South Africa. In 1993 she was transferred to Philadelphia, with a lion and two other lionesses. From 2004 to 2006 she lived in Columbus Zoo and then returned to her home at Philadelphia Zoo.
Zenda was in captivity under her caretaker Kay Buffamonte for 24 years. She was featured as the African Lion in the Philadelphia Zoo in the United States.
She was totally fine before her death, she consumed 10 pounds of steak right a day before her death. The pieces of evidence say that her only health issue was her sudden lack of appetite, which could be a reason for her death. She passed away on 29th December 2016 at Philadelphia Zoo. She was 25 years of age at her death. This is a much higher lifespan for African lions as their average lifespan in the wild is 10 to 14 years and in captivity is about 20 years.
Ram: Oldest Lion that Lived in the Wild
It is difficult to track and keep a record of every lion in the wild. However, some shreds of evidence have proved that a lion named Ram was the longest-lived lion in the wild as he passed away at the age of 16 years. He lived in the tourism zone of Gir Sanctuary.
Although most lions don’t maintain their power over their territory for 3 years. But Ram managed to maintain his power over the territory for about 7 years.
Ram died in India in November 2015. No strong pieces of evidence were found that could properly define the cause of his death. Some say that he died due to cold temperature while some say that an injury was the cause of his death.
Why don’t the Lions Live Longer?
In the wild, the lions face more threats than in captivity. From the moment they are born, they have to deal with diseases and battle with the issues of the environment. Sometimes they injure themselves in the course of hunting for food or sometimes they get attacked by other lions due to starvation. Sometimes the cold temperature also causes their death as well. So it’s clear that the average lion life span in the wild is much lower than lion in captivity.
According to the scientist, the main threat that lions face in the wild is humans. Human activities have contributed to a high number of lion deaths. The main activity is hunting, as this activity has contributed to 88% of male lion deaths and 67% of female lion deaths.
History of Lion
The word lion is derived from the Latin word “Leo” which itself means lion. Furthermore, Leo’s word is derived from the Greek word “Leon”. And these both words are originally derived from even old languages like Ancient Egyptian.
Some scientists have found fossils of lions that could be up to 2 million years old in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. That tells us that lions have been living on the Earth for a pretty long time and are some old animals that didn’t become extinct.
The lions are also called the king of the beasts because of their broad and big body. Also, the lions are considered a symbol of courage and bravery. As of now, there are only 30 thousand lions left in the wild of Africa.
Size and Weight of Lion
The length of the female lion is between 4.6 and 5.7 feet while the male is between 5.6 and 8.3 feet in length. The tail of a lion is between 27 to 41 inches long.
Male lions weigh between 330 and 570 pounds while female lions weigh between 270 and 400 pounds.
Breeding
After a gestation period of about 4 months, the lioness leaves her pride to give birth to 2 to 6 cubs. The cubs weigh 3 pounds at the time of birth. They usually live alone and hide from their pride for about the first 6 months. Male cubs leave their mother early but the female cubs usually remain with their mother for quite some while. The male cubs usually live in the bachelor groups until they grow up enough to hunt and live on their own.
Facts About Lions
Now that you have read about the lion’s lifespan, let’s find out some more amazing facts about lions.
- A lion named MGM lion survived a plane crash and now he has been referred to as the most famous lion in the world.
- 90% of the population of lions has been lost and also 94% of their habitat is lost as well.
- Lions are the only big cats in the world that live in social groups.
- After humans, lions have the largest range of any mammal.
- A lion’s roar has a frequency of 114 decibels so it can be heard from 5 km away.
FAQs
Are Lions on the Verge of Extinction?
As the number of lions that are alive is so high they don’t seem to get extinct for another 150 years.
How Far Can a Lion Roar Be Heard?
It can easily be heard from 5 km away as it is very loud.
Where Does a Lion Come From?
As of now, most lions live in Africa from the Southern Sahara Fringe to Northern South Africa.
What is the Average Lifespan of a Lion?
Wild lions have an average lifespan of 8 to 10 years. While in captivity it can be 15 to 20 years.
Why do Wild Lions have a Shorter Lifespan?
The diseases in the wild and injuries taken by the wild lions lead them to a shorter lifespan.
Why Lions are Called “King of Beasts”?
Because of their bravery and courage, they are referred to as the “King of the Beasts”.
Are Lions Mammals?
The lions are carnivorous mammals.
- An Ultimate Comparison: Bear vs Tiger - April 1, 2024
- All About Baby Tiger: Birth, Diet, and Other Facts - March 30, 2024
- The White Tigers: All You Need To Know - March 27, 2024
