100 Pictures of Lions - Sleeping, Hunting, Roaring, with Cubs, and More!
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Table of Contents - Jump to Section
- Pictures of Lions
- Pictures of Lions Sleeping
- Pictures of Lion Cubs
- Pictures of White Lions
- Pictures of Lions Hunting
- Pictures of Lions Roaring
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Pictures of Lions
Weighing up to 250 kilograms (550 lbs) and standing up to 175 centimeters (5’9”) tall at the shoulders, the lion is the second largest cat after the tiger. Wild lions live in sub-Saharan Africa and a wildlife sanctuary in India. The furry mane of the adult male is the lion’s most distinctive trait. Similar to a peacock’s tail, the size and color of a lion’s mane serves as a signal to other lions about the male’s fitness and fighting ability. Female lions, or lionesses, do not have manes and are somewhat smaller in weight and height than the males. Lions live in groups called prides, which are centered around a group of related lionesses who do most of the hunting for the pride. A tribe usually consists of about five or six lionesses, their cubs, and one or two males. Some lions do not live as part of prides; these lions are nomads and live alone or in pairs.
A lion resting at the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Australia
Rexness, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Two male lions at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Lion at Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Joachim Huber, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion in Serengeti region in Africa
Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A lioness and her cub in the Serengeti
DavidDennisPhotos.com, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Portrait of three lions (one female and two males), all resting at morning time. Taken in Masai Mara, southwest Kenya.
Benh LIEU SONG, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Male and female lion at Krugersdorp Game Reserve in South Africa
Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Standing lion
whippets.chrichri, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Lion resting at the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida
LaggedOnUser, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Closeup of a lion in Kenya
Gin_Chilla, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Two female lions and cub at San Diego Wild Animal Park
fortherock, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Lioness and cubs at San Diego Wild Animal Park
fortherock, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
A pride of lions in the Masai Mara National Park in Kenya
The Lilac Breasted Roller from Sullivan's Island, United States, CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion closeup
Martin Falbisoner, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lions at the Louisville Zoo in Missouri
Ltshears, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two lions in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Guido Appenzeller from Menlo Park, USA (Lions in Serengeti), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Male and female lion
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK (Lions 4 Uploaded by tm), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lioness and cubs getting a drink in Chobe National Park, Botswana
Bgabel at wikivoyage shared, CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lioness at Etosha National Park in Nimibia
Jean-Louis Vandevivère (originally posted to Flickr as africa190),CC-BY-SA-2.0,via Wikimedia Commons
Lioness at Okonjima Lodge, Namibia
Falense, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Male lions at Kavita Lion Lodge, Namibia
Hans Stieglitz, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lioness at Etosha National Park, Namibia
JRAWLS (Flickr), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Young male lion in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
appenz, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
A pride of lions at Masai Mara National Park in Kenya
blieusong, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Male and female lions grooming each other
luisrock62, morgueFile Free Photo License, via morgueFile
Pictures of Lions Sleeping
Lions sleep more than any other animal in Africa—about 14 hours a day on average, but sometimes up to 20 hours or more! Why do lions spend so much time sleeping? The answer has to do with their physiology and the way they hunt. Lions have a huge amount of muscle to help them accelerate quickly and take down large prey. Having so much muscle generates a lot of metabolic heat, and sleeping helps lions stay cool. Also, the life of a hunter is unpredictable; a lion might eat just once every few days. Lions have large stomachs, and resting a lot makes their infrequent meals last longer.
Lion sleeping at Exotic Animals Park, Dvorec u Borovan, Czech Republic
Cheva, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion sleeping at Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
Joachim Huber, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion and lioness sleeping at the London Zoo
Vicburton, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Flickr
A lion and a lioness sleeping in the Serengeti
Vincenzo Gianferrari Pini, CC-BY-SA-2.5-it, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion sleeping at the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Australia
Rexness, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Flickr
Lion sleeping at the San Diego Zoo
Aaron Logan, CC-BY-2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion sleeping at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle
Brett Hammond, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Lion sleeping at the Servion Zoo in Switzerland
Tambako the Jaguar, CC-BY-ND-2.0, via Flickr
White lion sleeping at the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio
Mark Dumont, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Lioness in Zambia
SarahDepper, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Lion sleeping at the Milwaukee County Zoo in Wisconsin
jimbown0306, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Lion napping at the Zurich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC-BY-ND-2.0, via Flickr
Lion in Kenya
collinj, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Lion resting at the St. Louis Zoo
lissalou66, CC-BY-ND-2.0, via Flickr
Lioness sleeping at the Chilean National Zoo
Alonso Jiménez Quesada, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion sleeping at Bali Safari & Marine Park
marjoleinknuit, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Flickr
Lion and lioness napping at the Houston Zoo
alan.stoddard, CC-BY-ND-2.0, via Flickr
Lioness sleeping at Whipsnade Zoo in England
wwarby, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
Lion sleeping on his back
Rennett Stowe (Uploaded by russavia), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion sleeping and covering eyes
Rennett Stowe (Uploaded by russavia), CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pictures of Lion Cubs
The female lion gives birth to a litter of 1-4 cubs in a secluded den, such as a cave or thicket. Cubs are born helpless—they don’t open their eyes until a week after birth, and they don’t walk until they are three weeks old. Cubs are born with brown spots on their bodies that fade as they reach adulthood. To avoid predators, a lioness moves her cubs to a new den every week or two until they are 6-8 weeks old, when she finally rejoins the pride with her cubs. Young cubs face many threats: starvation when older cubs dominate the food supply, attacks by outside males who try to take over a pride, and predators such as leopards, hyenas, jackals, snakes, and eagles. Because of these dangers, about 80% of lion cubs die before the age of two in the wild.
Lion cub at the San Diego Wild Animal Park
fortheforck, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
A white lion cub at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in South Africa
Gary Whyte, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion cub at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Mr. T in DC, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
A white lioness and her cubs at the Global White Lion Protection Trust game reserve in Timbavati
mariaasr, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cubs playing at the San Diego Wild Animal Park
fortherock, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Another photo of lion cubs playing at the San Diego Wild Animal Park
fortherock, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cub sleeping at the San Diego Wild Animal Park
fortherock, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
A lion cub at the Honolulu Zoo
jdnx, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
A white lion cub at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in South Africa
Gary Whyte, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two lion cubs sleeping
malcolmcerfonteyn, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cub standing on a dirt road in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
wwarby, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Three lion cubs in Kenya
Matt Biddulph, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cub in Serengeti region in Tanzania
Thomson Safaris, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cub at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Closeup of a lion cub at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
A lion cub in Tanzania
Ganesh raghunathan, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
A lioness licks one of her newborn cubs at the Aalborg Zoo in Denmark
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Brother and sister cubs at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Three lion cubs playing at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Cubs playing in the snow at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cubs at the Hamburg Zoo in Germany
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cub licking his foot
Hitchster, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cub and older brother at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cubs in Zimbabwe
Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Six and a half month old lion cub at the Zürich Zoo
Tambako the Jaguar, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Pictures of White Lions
Rather than a distinct subspecies, the white lion is actually a type of lion with a rare genetic condition called leucism. White lions range from blonde to near-white in color, which is caused by a recessive mutation in a gene responsible for fur and skin pigment. Though some do exist in the wild, white lions are most commonly found in captivity, where breeders select for the trait.
White lion at the Bratislava Zoo in Slovakia
Stano Novak, CC-BY-2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
White lioness at the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio
Ltshears, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A white lioness
ahisgett, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
A white lioness at the West Midlands Safari Park in England
Bladefyler, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
A white lion resting at the Cincinnati Zoo
bobosh_t, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Flickr
A white lion
cello8, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Flickr
A pair of white lions at the Cincinnati Zoo
Mark Dumont, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
A white lion and lioness at Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, England
monkeywing, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
A white lion at the Wildlife Ranch in South Africa
MyAngelG, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr Cango
A white lion relaxing at the Paradise Wildlife Park in England
p_a_h, CC-BY-2.0, via Flickr
A white lion at the Bratislava Zoo in Slovakia
Tambako the Jaguar, CC-BY-ND-2.0, via Flickr
A white lion resting at the Parc des Felins in France
Tambako the Jaguar, CC-BY-ND-2.0, via Flickr
Closeup of a white lion
Dirk-Jan Kraan, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pictures of Lions Hunting
The lioness typically hunts for the pride while the males stay behind to watch the cubs. Males sometimes assist with unusually large or difficult prey. Because lions can only run short distances before overheating, lions generally work together to stalk and surround their prey from different points. Their preferred prey is wildebeest and zebra, though they are also known to hunt a variety of other animals such as giraffe and buffalo, depending on the region.
Lions hunting in Kenya
hmhegle79, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Three young lions hunt a buffalo in Tanzania
romanboed, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Eight lions stalking a herd of about 100 water buffalo in Okavango Delta, Botswana
Corinata, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Lions hunting in Africa
Gary M. Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Lioness hunting worthogs in the western corridor of the Serengeti
Taken by Schuyler Shepherd, contrast & saturation edited by norro,CC-BY-SA-2.5,via Wikimedia Commons
Lionesses hunting in the Ngorongoro
farmgirl, CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pictures of Lions Roaring
Lions are highly territorial animals, and lion prides have been known to inhabit the same area for generations. Lions roar as a way to announce their presence, and their roars can be heard from as far away as 8 kilometers (5 miles).
A lion roaring at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Michael Bentley, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Lion roaring at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston
Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Closeup of a lion roaring at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston
Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Closeup of a lioness roaring at the Oklahoma City Zoo
katsrcool (Kool Cats Photography), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Lioness roaring at the San Diego Zoo
LisaW123, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Lion cub roaring in Tanzania
Photo by Dmitri Markine www.dmitrimarkine.com, CC-BY-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pair of lions in West Midlands Safari Park
Robek, CC-BY-2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Lion roaring at the Fort Worth Zoo
Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Closeup of a lion roaring at the Houston Zoo
kittenfc, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
Lioness in South Africa
qmnonic, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
martinteschner, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr
Informational References
- All about lions | College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota
- Lion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Comments
Zaton-Taran from California on June 26, 2017:
Beautiful lion images! If you want to learn more about the Serengeti and Masai Mara prides, come check out my hub - thanks in advance! http://pinstor.us/articles/african-lion-facts-the-...
Dil Vil from India on January 04, 2014:
Great pics, nice to go through this good hub...
