This ancient beast was rail-thin and had the shriveled-up appearance of a 100-year-old man. One of the most memorable lions we ever saw was this 17-year old male in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. A male lion will typically live only 8 - 12 years in the wild, compared to 10 - 15 years for females, and many male lion lives end in a literal fight-to-the-death. One of the most interesting things about encountering adult male lions is seeing the battle scars on their faces and bodies, testaments to the constant fight for survival. However, the story is not over - once male lions take over a pride their reign is under constant threat from other, competing males. If coalition members survive to full adulthood, they grow bigger and stronger over time, eventually overthrowing another male or males and gaining control of a pride. Young males will often team up with other, usually related, males to form a coalition, finding safety and strength in numbers. Life is dangerous for these guys, as they are a threat to other adult males yet they no longer have the protection of their natal pride. By age three, male lion cubs are forced out of their pride to seek out new territory and establish a new pride. Lions are incredibly territorial and there is intense competition between males to control a pride and it’s territory. While pop culture glorifies male lions as “king of the jungle”, the reality is that lions don’t live in jungles, and life is TOUGH for males. Read on for more fun facts about the love lives of lions!Ī Male Lion’s Life: Nasty, Brutish and Short Lion prides are matriarchal and lion politics involve a lot of drama, with sex, power struggles, and murder being part of everyday life. A typical lion pride averages 10 to 15 members and it comprises multiple generations of related females, their cubs, and a couple of males who protect the pride and mate with the females. African lions are the only big cats that live in family groups or prides, leading to complex social dynamics. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we thought it would be fun to write about the love lives of lions, one of the most fascinating felines to be found on safari.
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