Only 200 or so Asian lions exist in the wild. A former royal reserve, India's Gir Forest, is the last home of this lion subspecies.
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: 16 to 18 years
Weight: 300 to 500 lbs (120 to 226 kg)
Group name: Pride
Protection status: Endangered
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:
Lions are the only cats that live in groups, called prides. Prides are family units that may include up to three males, a dozen or so females, and their young. All of a pride's lionesses are related and female cubs typically stay with the group as they age. Young males eventually leave and may establish their own prides by taking over a group headed by another male.
Only male lions boast manes, the impressive fringe of long hair that encircles their heads. Males defend the pride's territory. They mark the area with urine, roar menacingly to warn intruders, and chase off animals that encroach on their turf.
Female lions are the pride's primary hunters. They often work together to prey upon large mammals.
Reference By: Animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/asian-lion/
