Powerful big Cats

The magnificent animal popularly referred to as the King of Beasts, the lion was very much in focus the past few days following Independence celebrations . The national flag of Sri Lanka naturally took pride of place in all activities while the Independence Square,the monument built to mark the freedom our brave ancestors won for our country was also very much in focus. While the national flag bears a lion with a sword in its fore paw representing the brevery and courage of the Sri Lankans, especially the Sinhala race( which is said to trace its origin from a lion according to ancient legend) , the symbolic edifice - Independence Square features exquisitely sculptured images of lions portraying the courage of our people.As the lion is closely linked to our race let’s follow its footprints into the jungle to know more about this creature.

We feature some interesting facts about the species along with information about an exciting place you could visit in Australia (if ever you make a trip to this far away land),to have a close encounter with this awesome creature that belongs to the felidae family. It is no secret that any story whether fictional or real connected to these big cats never fails to capture our attention. Remember the famous Walt Disney movie, “The Lion King” that won the hearts of many, both young and old?

The largest of the big cats, the lion is native to Africa though it is found in many other parts of the world in national zoological gardens and safari parks.There are lions in the Dehiwela Zoo too and many of you must have been captivated by its sheer majestic appearance, especially the males with the magnificent manes.

The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the four big cats and ranks as the second largest living cat after the tiger. It is a member of the family Felidae, in the genus Panthera.It is generally a huge animal with some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight.Highly distinctive, the male lion is easily recognised by its mane of hair around its head. It is a feature unique amongst the cat family (the Felidae) The rest of the lion’s coat is short and tawny in colour for both sexes. The underside is paler, without markings. The backs of the ears and the tuft of hair at the tip of the tail are dark brown or black. Lion cubs are born with brown rosettes that disappear with maturity, although some lions retain faint spots.

Wild lions currently exist in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with an endangered remnant population in Gir Forest National Park in India, having disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia in historic times.

Would you believe that until the late Pleistocene, about 10,000 years ago, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal after humans? Lions were found in most of Africa, across Eurasia from western Europe to India and in the Americas from the Yukon to Peru. But today the lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of thirty to fifty per cent over the past two decades in its African range.Within Africa, the West African lion population is particularly endangered.hey typically inhabit savanna and grassland, although they may take to bush and forest.

Lions are unusually social compared to other cats.They usually live in groups of 15 or more animals called prides. Prides can be as small as 3 or as big as 40 animals. In a pride, lions hunt prey, raise cubs, and defend their territory together. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates.Lions are basically predators, although they scavenge as opportunity allows. While lions do not typically hunt humans, some have been known to do so.

The lion’s face is one of the most widely recognised animal symbols in human culture. Depictions have existed from the Upper Paleolithic period, with carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves, through virtually all ancient and medieval cultures where they once occurred.

Characterised as fearsome, courageous and majestic, the lion’s strength and ferocity has earned it the title of ‘King of the Beasts’ in many cultures.The lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures, paintings, on national flags and in contemporary films and literature. Lions have been kept in menageries since the time of the Roman Empire and have been a key species sought for exhibition in zoos the world over since the late eighteenth century.

Lions live for ten to fourteen years in the wild, while in captivity they can live longer than twenty years. In the wild, males seldom live longer than ten years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity.

Two subspecies are currently recognised: the African lion (Panthera leo leo) and the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) The Asiatic lion is slightly smaller than its African cousin, and has a shorter, thinner mane and a fold of skin running the length of the belly that is rare in African lions. It has been suggested that there may actually be six subspecies of the lion; however, only the African and the Asiatic subspecies have been confirmed on the basis of genetic analysis.

A lion on your bonnet?

Imagine going on a safari and having a huge lion jump onto the bonnet of your jeep? Awesome, isn’t it? Well, this is exactly what you can experience at the Werribee Open Range Zoo, an African themed zoo in Werribee, about 32 kilometres (20 miles) south-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board or ‘Zoos Victoria’ which also includes Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary. It is situated on approximately 225 hectares (560 acres) and is located on the Werribee River in Werribee Park, adjacent to the Werribee Mansion. It was originally agistment land to the Melbourne Zoo.Once visitors have entered the Open Range Zoo, they can book for and take a safari bus tour which runs according to the expected demand - . During the safari tour you could see animals such as the hippo, animals of the grasslandwhich includes the zebra, waterbuck, giraffe, ostrich, and rhinoceros, as well as the camel and the oryx. The animals are kept ‘open range.’ However, often young are not released until they have bonded with their mother. There is also a simulated African village, with educational and entertaining features, including a mock scenario of an African ranger and his adventures tracking lions, and an interactive soundscape walk with simulated lion sounds surrounding the walker.

There are two independent trails that visitors may follow in addition to the safari tour: the Pula Reserve Walking Trail (800 metres/approximately 40 minutes) which focuses on African animals, including lions, Vervet Monkeys, Cheetahs and meerkats, and the Volcanic Plains Walk (500 metres/approximately 30 minutes), which focuses on Australian animals, like the wallaby and kangaroo.

Educational institutions can use the Learning Centre and the zoo’s educational programmes to further reinforce the learning experience. Various programmes are offered, and teach more about the history and geography of animals in their environments.

In addition to the standard safari tour, visitors can also book various ‘specialty’ tours, including the open vehicle adventure or close encounters with lions, rhinos or giraffe.

Facts and pix: Internet

[Fact file]

* The lion is a species of the genus Panthera and its closest relatives are the other species of this genus: the tiger, the jaguar, and the leopard.

* Panthera leo itself evolved in Africa between 1 million and 800,000 years ago.

* As one of the largest of the ‘big cats’, the lion is built to prey on animals many times its size, its strong jaws and muscular build emanating an image of sheer power.

* Lions died out in northern Eurasia at the end of the last glaciation, about 10,000 years ago.

* Traditionally, twelve recent subspecies of lion were recognised, distinguished by mane appearance, size, and distribution.

However,today only eight subspecies are usually accepted, although one of these, the Cape lion, formerly described as Panthera leo melanochaita, probably is invalid. Even the remaining seven subspecies might be too many.

* According to a study, Western African lions are more closely related to Asian lions, than to South or East African lions.

* Another study has revealed, that there are three major types of lions, one North African - Asian, one southern African and one middle African.

* Zoos are cooperating worldwide in breeding programmes for the endangered Asiatic subspecies.

* Lions can reach speeds of up to 81 kph (50 mph) but only in short bursts because of a lack of stamina.

* The roar of a lion can be heard from 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) away.