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Lion, "The King of the Beasts"...... !
His eminence instills fear, awe and respect in both man and beast.
On the prowl The King is in full command and the atmosphere becomes charged with tension as all lessor creatures take on the heightened awareness of danger and the need for self preservation.
Such is the strenght and power of this animal, the largest of all African cats, that even the mighty elephant needs to be on guard.
Large male lions can stand 1,25 meters at the shoulders and have a mass of almost 250 kilograms. This weight is used to great effect when hunting to drag prey to the ground.
His fearsome appearance is enhanced by his large mane which can be almost black, especially in those found in the north -western region of Southern Africa.
The male lions main function is to protect the pride and to fend off predators such as the opportunistic hyena.
The lioness has the greater responsability for hunting and food requirement - even though the hunt is usually a cleverly orchestrated team effort by all members of the pride.
The agile adult females will spread out to enable them to attack from different directions.
They will simultaneously charge at the opportune moment and select one unfortunate animal to relentlessy bear down on until it is brought to ground.
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The larger males will be quick to feed on a successful "kill" and often thoroughly gorge themselves before allowing lionesses and cubs to partake in the feast.
In the meantime it is likely that other predators such as hyena and jackal will have started to gather nearby, not to mention vultures and other birds of prey also quick to fulfil the role Nature gave them in the food chain.
For the smaller members of the lion pride the ravenous hyena can be a serious problem, and though gorging on the carcass the adult male lions will always keep a wary eye on these unwelcome mealtime guests.
It is the size of the lion group, which can number up to about thirty members, that determines how often a "kill" will be necessary.
Lions will usually hunt in the night, cool of early morning, or late in the afternoon as they are loath to exert themselves in the midday heat.
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